General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · request

Letter to Airline Reporting Lost Item on Flight: IELTS formal letter sample

An IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 formal letter with a Band 8 sample answer, why it scores well and the phrases worth borrowing for your own letter writing.
  • 180 words
  • Formal letters
  • Request
  • 20 minutes
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The task

Last week you were on a flight to London. Unfortunately, when you left the plane, you left a bag. You did not remember about the bag until you got to your hotel.

Write a letter to the airline. In your letter:

  • →explain what has happened
  • →describe the bag and its contents
  • →say what you would like them to do about it

Write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses. Begin your letter: Dear ...,

Model answer

Band 8 sample letter

Band 8180 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Customer Service Team,

I am writing to report a personal item that I inadvertently left on board flight BA248 from New York to London Heathrow, which arrived on the evening of 15 October. I only realised the bag was missing upon reaching my hotel in central London.

The item is a dark navy blue leather satchel, approximately 30cm by 20cm. It features a distinctive silver buckle on the front flap and a frayed leather strap on the left side. Inside, there is a Kindle e-reader in a grey protective case, a personal diary with a black cover, and my prescription sunglasses in a hard-shell case.

Could you please check with your lost property department to see if this bag was recovered by the cabin crew? If located, I would appreciate it if you could arrange for it to be held at the airport terminal for me to collect. Alternatively, I am happy to pay for it to be couriered to my current address in London.

I look forward to your prompt assistance in this matter.

Yours faithfully,

Jonathan Sterling

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Answer this prompt in a timed General Training writing test and get a band for task achievement, coherence, vocabulary and grammar, with the sentences to fix.

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Examiner's view

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response clearly addresses all three bullet points with specific, natural details while maintaining a professional tone throughout. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to provide a clear description of the bag's contents or neglecting to propose a specific solution for retrieval.

  • →Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully.
  • →If you know the person's surname, use Dear Mr or Ms and close with Yours sincerely.
  • →No contractions, no slang; polite indirect requests such as I would be grateful if you could.

6 phrases

Useful phrases from the letter

  • inadvertently

    without intention or accidentally doing something

  • satchel

    a bag with a strap worn over shoulder

  • distinctive

    characteristic of one person or thing specifically

  • recovered

    found again after being lost or stolen

  • couriered

    sent via a professional delivery service

  • prompt

    done without delay or very quickly

Frequently asked questions

Is this letter formal or informal?+

Formal. Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully.

How many words should an IELTS General Training letter be?+

At least 150 words, and 160 to 200 is the comfortable range. Spend about 20 minutes on it and leave 40 for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.

What does the examiner look for?+

A Band 8 response clearly addresses all three bullet points with specific, natural details while maintaining a professional tone throughout. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to provide a clear description of the bag's contents or neglecting to propose a specific solution for retrieval.

Keep practising

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