General Training Task 1 · 235 words
Lost property: identify the item and the journey
Give the railway office enough precise, verifiable information to locate and return an important item.
Study the method: Formal letters: develop every task point and make the request clear →
Band 6 goal: Formal tone
Complete every task part clearly and organise the response so the reader can follow it. This is a study route, not an examiner score assigned to the answer. How IELTS Writing is assessed.
The question
You left an important item on a train. Write a letter to the railway company's lost-property office. Describe the item, explain when and where you lost it, and state how the office can return it to you.
The sample answer
Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to report a laptop bag that I left on one of your trains yesterday, 18 September. I travelled on the 17:42 service from Ashford Central to Brookton and got off at Brookton at approximately 18:15. I was sitting in the second carriage, near the rear door.
The bag is a dark-blue canvas shoulder bag measuring about 40 centimetres across. Its distinguishing feature is a narrow orange strap attached to the front zip. Inside it are a silver laptop, a black charger, a paper notebook labelled ‘Project Field Notes’ and a clear folder containing course documents. My name, Alex Morgan, is written on a card in the inner pocket.
I placed the bag on the overhead rack after boarding and only noticed it was missing when I reached home. I can provide the laptop's serial number and proof of ownership if the bag has been found. I would be grateful if your staff could check items collected from that service and let me know whether the description matches anything held at Brookton or the central office.
If you locate the bag, please contact me at the email address supplied with this letter. I can arrange collection from Brookton station on any weekday after 4 p.m. Alternatively, I am willing to pay a reasonable delivery charge if collection is not possible. Thank you for your assistance. Yours faithfully, Alex Morgan
Vocabulary in context
Each phrase appears in the answer above. Learn how it works, not just a replacement word.
- distinguishing feature
- A noticeable characteristic that helps identify one item among similar objects.
Describe a concrete feature such as a colour, mark or attachment rather than calling the whole item distinctive.
- proof of ownership
- Information or a document showing that an item belongs to a particular person.
The phrase supports secure return; explain what evidence can be provided without including sensitive details unnecessarily.
- arrange collection
- Agree on the practical time and place for an item to be picked up.
Use arrange before the noun collection, then state when or where the handover could occur.
Now make it your own
Rewrite the description and return paragraphs for a lost musical instrument. Include one unique identifier and a collection option without inventing information the office does not need.
For a smaller practice step, use the explanation, knowledge check and self-review exercise in Write a letter with purpose and tone.
The practice link opens the original question, not a copy of this answer.
Open the writing workspaceMore examples of this question type
Write to an organisation or person you do not know. State the purpose clearly, cover all three task points and keep the tone polite and professional.