Letter

Band 6+: You recently bought some train tickets for a journey a week in advance. When you went to the station to catch the train, you were told you could not use the tickets and the staff were very unhelpful to you. Write a letter to the train company. In your letter: Describe the problem you had with the tickets Say why were unhappy with the staff Suggest what action the train company should take

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Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to address the negligence of your company’s staff during a train journey booked from Kerala to Mumbai. I had booked four train tickets for me and my family to Mumbai to Kerala a week in advance. Unfortunately, when we reached the station to board the train, station staff informed us that names on the tickets and in their system records did not match, and due to this reason, they restricted us from boarding the train. Athe staff memebrd were not helpful; when askes for a refund they denied it and shouted at us, abd even asked the Police Officers to intervene. Thankfully, the station master intervened, and after further investigation, it was found out that the misplacement of names had occurred because of a system glitch. However, by this time, out train had already left the station, and we missed to catch our train.

This incident was deeply disturbing for me and my family , especially how the staff reacted to this issue instead of addressing the problem. They refused to provide a refund or new tickets. Also, threatened us to kick us out of the train station when asked for refund. This inicident has impacted us financially as we had to cancel the travelling plans and no refunds were received from tourist agency as it has past the travel date.

Requesting you to kindly look into this situation and, if possible, provide a full refund for the tickets we booked on 25th December, 2025, which was initially denied by your staff.

Yours faithfully,

Rita

Word Count: 262

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Overall Band Score

6.5

(+/- 0.5)

Vocabulary Complexity:
B2 - Upper Intermediate
Opt for even more advanced words when appropriate.

Grammar Mistakes: N/A

Vocabulary Repetition:

train: 6

station: 5

staff: 4

tickets: 4

refund: 4

booked: 3

Try using synonyms for the above words

Task Response

The letter appropriately covers all requirements of the task, describing the problem with the tickets, explaining the dissatisfaction with the staff, and suggesting a course of action for the train company. There are a few minor grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, but these do not significantly detract from the overall quality of the response. To improve, focus on refining sentence structure and ensuring consistent clarity throughout the letter.

Coherence & Cohesion

The letter is generally coherent and well-organized, presenting the issue and the writer's dissatisfaction clearly. However, there are instances where the flow could be improved with better transitions between ideas. For example, elaborating on the impact of the missed train and cancelled plans could strengthen the letter's coherence. Also, paragraphing is generally adequate, but consider breaking up longer paragraphs for better readability.

Lexical Resource

The letter demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task. Words and phrases like 'negligence,' 'restricted,' 'intervened,' and 'misplacement' are appropriately used. However, the vocabulary could be enhanced by incorporating more varied and precise language to describe the emotional impact and financial consequences of the incident. For instance, instead of 'deeply disturbing,' consider using stronger adjectives like 'traumatic' or 'disconcerting.' Also, try to avoid repetition of words.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

The letter demonstrates a reasonable command of grammar, with a mix of simple and complex sentences. However, there are noticeable grammatical errors and phrasing issues that affect clarity. For example, 'Athe staff memebrd were not helpful; when askes for a refund they denied it and shouted at us, abd even asked the Police Officers to intervene' contains multiple errors. Focus on proofreading to eliminate such errors. Also, ensure correct subject-verb agreement and proper use of articles and prepositions.

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