Letter

Band 6+: Write a letter to the railway company. In your letter • describe the item • explain where and when you left it • say what action you would like the company to take

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Dear Sir/ Madam,

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with the company’s poor service, especially regarding the phone line. Yesterday, I booked a ticket on the ICE train to travel from Munich city to Berlin. The train number was 223BC and its departure was at 3 PM. The train was delayed to arrive on the determined time of arrival so all the passengers were in a hurry to leave the train. At this moment, I left my handbag on my chair and I didn’t realize it immediately. When I noticed that I forgot it inside the train, the train left the platform to its next station. The bag was medium-sized with two red zippers.

I decided to call the company customer service to ask for help but unfortunately, it took a long time before they answered the phone. Moreover, their reply wasn’t satisfactory for me. They didn’t tell me about the rules followed in such a situation. They did not tell me how I could retrieve my bag. Furthermore, they didn’t ask about my address or any other relevant details.

I would appreciate it if you could help solve this matter as soon as possible. I suggest displaying a notice describing the bag. In addition, we can ask the train staff and the cleaning service if anyone saw it.

I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Omneya

Word Count: 231

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Overall Band Score

6.5

(+/- 0.5)

Vocabulary Complexity:
B1 - Intermediate
Using more sophisticated words could be beneficial.

Grammar Mistakes: N/A

Vocabulary Repetition:

train: 7

service: 3

didn't: 3

Try using synonyms for the above words

Task Response

The letter addresses all three bullet points required by the task. You successfully described the item, explained the circumstances of when and where it was left, and suggested actions. However, the response is slightly unbalanced. A significant portion of the letter is dedicated to complaining about the customer service phone line, which, while providing context, is not explicitly requested by the prompt. This shifts the focus away from the primary purpose of the letter: recovering a lost item. To improve, ensure that the main purpose (the lost item) remains the central theme, and keep secondary complaints concise so they do not overshadow the task requirements. Additionally, your suggestions for action (displaying a notice or asking staff) are a bit passive; in a real-world scenario, you would likely ask the company to search the lost property office or contact you directly if the item is found.

Coherence & Cohesion

The letter is logically organized, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. You have addressed all parts of the prompt. However, the transition between describing the lost item and complaining about the customer service could be smoother. To improve, try using more sophisticated cohesive devices to link your grievances with your request for action, rather than relying on simple additive transitions like 'Moreover' and 'Furthermore' in every sentence.

Lexical Resource

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly (e.g., 'dissatisfaction', 'retrieve', 'relevant details'). To reach a higher band, aim for more precise and natural collocations. For example, instead of 'the determined time of arrival', use 'the scheduled arrival time'. Instead of 'displaying a notice describing the bag', you might say 'circulating a description of the lost item among your staff'.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

The grammar is generally functional, but there are several errors in tense usage and phrasing that slightly hinder the flow. For instance, 'The train was delayed to arrive on the determined time' is awkward; 'The train arrived later than scheduled' is more natural. Additionally, ensure consistency in your narrative tenses. There is a slight confusion between describing a past event and making suggestions. Using more complex structures, such as conditional sentences (e.g., 'If the staff could check the cleaning logs, it might lead to the recovery of my bag'), would improve your score.

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Band 6+: Write a letter to the railway company. In your letter • describe the item • explain where and when you left it • say what action you would like the company to take

Check Your Answer On This Topic?

Generate A Band-9 Sample Answer?

Overall Band Score

Task Response

Coherence & Cohesion

Lexical Resource

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

Answers On The Same Topic:

Write a letter to the railway company. In your letter • describe the item • explain where and when you left it • say what action you would like the company to take

Write a letter to the railway company. In your letter • describe the item • explain where and when you left it • say what action you would like the company to take

Write a letter to the railway company. In your letter • describe the item • explain where and when you left it • say what action you would like the company to take

Write a letter to the railway company. In your letter • describe the item • explain where and when you left it • say what action you would like the company to take

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