Letter

Band 8+: On a recent holiday, you lost a valuable item. Fortunately you have travel insurance to cover the cost of the lost item. Write a letter to the insurance manager. 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 Smith,

My name is Irene and I have just returned in Italy from my holiday in China. My vacation was organised by the Italian travel agency “Around the world” that paid attention to every detail like flight tickets, tour, guide, museums bookings and accommodations. In addiction to this, the agency suggested me an optional insurance to cover the cost of anything lost, in fact I subscribed the “Lost and found” policy.

Unfortunately, I lost my personal tablet that I brought with me because I used it for simultaneous translations and it was very useful. I believe I left it at hotel because the last morning in Beijing I got up very early, I prepared my luggage very quickly and probably I didn’t control the drawer of the nightstand. I discovered my loss when I arrived at the airport and I couldn’t come back to the hotel because it was too far and I didn’t have enough time.

Is it possible to contact the hotel and ask if the staff found my tablet? If the answer is affirmative, could they send me? I am available to pay an extra fee.

If the hotel staff doesn’t find my tablet, can I have a reimbursement? In this case, I believe I must communicate all my tablet details like brand, model, RAM capacity and other technical specifications.

Thank you in advance for your time and attention. I look forward to your reply.

Regards

Irene M.

Word Count: 243

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Overall Band Score

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Vocabulary Complexity:
B2 - Upper Intermediate
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Grammar Mistakes: N/A

Vocabulary Repetition:

hotel: 4

tablet: 3

because: 3

Try using synonyms for the above words

Task Response

The letter appropriately addresses all three bullet points: it describes the lost item (a personal tablet), explains how it was lost (left in a hotel drawer due to a rushed departure), and states what the writer wants the insurance company to do (contact the hotel and, if unsuccessful, provide reimbursement). The tone is generally polite and the purpose is clear. However, there are some minor lapses: the salutation 'Dear Sir Smith' is incorrect (should be 'Dear Sir' or 'Dear Mr Smith'), and there are a few grammatical errors (e.g., 'returned in Italy', 'in addiction', 'I subscribed the policy', 'didn't control the drawer'). Additionally, the request for the hotel to send the tablet is phrased awkwardly ('could they send me?'). To improve, the writer should proofread for accuracy and use more precise phrasing. Overall, the response covers the task requirements and would benefit from minor language corrections.

Coherence & Cohesion

The letter is well-organized with clear paragraphing: introduction, description of loss, request for action, and closing. The progression of ideas is logical and easy to follow. Cohesion is generally smooth, with the use of linking words such as 'in addition', 'unfortunately', 'if', and 'in this case'. However, a few transitions could be more polished (e.g., 'in fact I subscribed' could be 'in fact, I took out'). Overall, the message is coherent and cohesive, with only minor lapses that do not hinder understanding.

Lexical Resource

The vocabulary is varied and appropriate for the task, with phrases like 'simultaneous translations', 'nightstand', 'reimbursement', and 'technical specifications'. There is good use of collocations ('paid attention to every detail', 'optional insurance', 'cover the cost'). Some minor inaccuracies exist, such as 'in addiction to' (should be 'in addition to') and 'I subscribed the policy' (should be 'I took out the policy' or 'I subscribed to the policy'). These do not significantly detract from the overall clarity and range.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

A good range of sentence structures is used, including complex sentences with subordinate clauses. Grammar is mostly accurate, with only minor errors such as 'I didn't control the drawer' (better: 'I didn't check the drawer') and 'could they send me?' (incomplete; should be 'could they send it to me?'). Punctuation is generally correct. The errors are infrequent and do not impede communication.

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Answers On The Same Topic:

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

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

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

On a recent holiday, you lost a valuable item. Fortunately you have travel insurance to cover the cost of the lost item. Write a letter to the insurance manager. 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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