General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · request

Letter to Hilton Manager Regarding Lost Personal Item: 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.
  • 195 words
  • Formal letters
  • Request
  • 20 minutes
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The task

You have just spent a weekend staying at the Hilton Hotel in Adelaide. When you get home you find that you have left a bag at the hotel.

Write a letter to the manager of the hotel. In your letter:

  • →introduce yourself
  • →describe the bag and its contents
  • →describe how you left your bag and what action you would expect from him/her

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

Model answer

Band 8 sample letter

Band 8195 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Mr. Henderson,

I am writing to report a personal item I inadvertently left behind following my stay at the Hilton Adelaide this past weekend, from Friday, 12th April to Sunday, 14th April. I stayed in room 402 under the name Julian Thorne.

The item is a medium-sized, tan leather satchel from the brand 'LeatherCraft'. It features a distinctive brass buckle and a frayed shoulder strap. Inside, you will find a black Moleskine notebook containing my project notes, a silver fountain pen, and a spare charger for a MacBook Pro. These items are of significant personal value to me.

I believe I left the bag tucked under the small writing desk near the window. In my haste to catch my flight on Sunday morning, I simply overlooked it. I suspect the housekeeping staff may have discovered it during their final room inspection.

Could you please check with the cleaning department to see if it has been handed into Lost Property? If found, I would be happy to arrange a courier to collect it at my expense, or I can provide my details for shipping. I look forward to your prompt assistance.

Yours sincerely,

Julian Thorne

Write your own and get a band

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

This response achieves Band 8 by addressing all bullet points with specific, natural details and maintaining a professional, consistent tone throughout. A common Band 6 error is failing to provide enough detail about the bag's appearance, which makes it harder for the hotel staff to actually locate the item.

  • →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

    happening by accident or without intending to

  • satchel

    a bag with a strap carried over the shoulder

  • distinctive

    having a special quality that makes something recognizable

  • haste

    excessive speed or urgency of action

  • courier

    a company that transports parcels or documents

  • prompt

    acting or arriving without any delay

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?+

This response achieves Band 8 by addressing all bullet points with specific, natural details and maintaining a professional, consistent tone throughout. A common Band 6 error is failing to provide enough detail about the bag's appearance, which makes it harder for the hotel staff to actually locate the item.

Keep practising

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