IELTS Writing Correction Service
Writing Samples
Band 6.5

On a recent holiday you lost a valuable item. Fortunately, you have travel insurance to cover the cost of anything lost. Write a letter to the manager of your insurance company. In your letter: Describe the item you lost Explain how you lost it Tell the insurance company what you would like them to do

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Dear Sir or Madam, I'm writing to report the loss of a valuable item during my recent holiday and to
resquest
Correct your spelling
request
 compensation under my travel insurance policy. The item I lost was
black
Correct article usage
a black
show examples
 Canon 60D digital
camera
Use synonyms
. I bought it about 6 months ago, and it was in good condition before my trip. The
camera
Use synonyms
 contained many important photos from my holiday, which are very valuable to me. I believe I lost the
camera
Use synonyms
while
Linking Words
 I was visiting Phu Quoc Island. I remember taking some photos there, but when I
return
Wrong verb form
returned
show examples
 to my hotel, I realised that the
camera
Use synonyms
 was missing from my bag. I immediately went back to the location and asked the staff at the lost and found office, but unfortunately, it had not been found. I would appreciate it if you could advise me on the next steps to make a claim and arrange compensation for the lost
camera
Use synonyms
. Please let me know if you require any additional documents,
such
Linking Words
 as proof of purchase, photographs of the
camera
Use synonyms
 or a police report. Thank you for your assistance. I look forward to your reply. Yours faithfully, Tien

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task response
Add key claim details, such as your policy number, trip dates, and the camera price. This will make your request more complete.
task response
Say more clearly what you want, for example: 'Please pay the cost of the camera under my policy.'
coherence and cohesion
Use simple links to make the time order clearer, such as 'After that', 'When I got back', and 'As a result'.
coherence and cohesion
Check small word forms: write 'a black Canon 60D digital camera', 'when I returned', and 'request'.
task response
You cover all parts of the task: the lost item, how it was lost, and what you want the company to do.
task response
The letter has a polite and formal tone, with a clear opening and ending.
coherence and cohesion
Your ideas are in a clear order: item, loss, then claim.
coherence and cohesion
Each paragraph has one main job, so the letter is easy to follow.
Structure your letter

A letter needs to be written using a proper format, including the following:

  • A greeting (Dear sir/madam, Dear John, Dear Mr. Smith)
  • The main body (consisting of paragraphs for each part of the letter)
  • A closing (Yours sincerely, Yours faithfully, Best wishes, Kind regards, Love)

When writing a letter as part of the IELTS General Training Writing Task 1, it is important to include the bullet points presented to you in the question.

All three bullet points need to be presented. And remember that some bullet points contain more than one element. So, make sure to watch for ‘and’ and plurals.

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Topic Vocabulary:
  • valuable possession
  • insurance claim
  • misplace
  • irreplaceable
  • receipt
  • policyholder
  • reimbursement
  • coverage
  • claim number
  • deductible
  • documentation
  • authenticate
  • liability
  • premium
  • accidental loss
  • indemnity
  • beneficiary
  • contact details
  • substantiate
  • correspondence
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