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Letter

Band 8+: 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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Note: Both the topic and the answer were created by one of our users.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction regarding a recent experience with your train service. I purchased tickets online for a journey from Manchester to London scheduled for 5th June. The booking was confirmed, and I received both the e-tickets and a receipt via email.

However, when I arrived at the station, I was informed that my tickets were invalid due to a “technical issue” and I would need to purchase new ones. Despite showing the confirmation email and payment receipt, the staff refused to assist or provide any alternatives. Instead of helping resolve the issue, they were dismissive and rude, which caused me to miss an important business meeting.

I am extremely disappointed with both the ticketing system and the unprofessional behaviour of your staff. I believe customers deserve better service, especially when they have followed all procedures correctly.

I kindly request a full refund for the tickets I was unable to use and a formal apology. I also suggest your staff be trained to handle such situations more effectively and courteously in the future.

Yours faithfully,

Word Count: 182

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Overall Band Score

8

(+/- 0.5)

Vocabulary Complexity:
C1 - Intricate
Strive to incorporate even richer and more precise language.

Grammar Mistakes: N/A

Vocabulary Repetition:

tickets: 3

staff: 3

Try using synonyms for the above words

Task Response

9

All parts of the task are successfully addressed. The letter is well-organized and easy to follow.

Coherence & Cohesion

9

The letter flows smoothly and logically. Paragraphing is excellent, and the ideas are connected effectively.

Lexical Resource

7.5

The vocabulary is sophisticated and accurate, demonstrating a good range. Minor improvements in word choice could elevate the letter further.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

6.5

While the grammar is mostly accurate, a few minor errors are present. Improving grammatical accuracy will enhance the overall score.

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