General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · request

Letter to gym manager regarding lost personal bag

You forgot your bag in the gym, and the gym management announced that it would be closed for a week for some renovation work. You need your bag as it has important things in it.

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

introduce yourself and describe your position
give them a description of your bag
tell them what you want them to do

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am a regular member of your fitness centre, training primarily in the weights area every weekday evening. I am contacting you regarding a personal item I inadvertently left behind shortly before the facility closed for its scheduled week of renovations.

The item is a medium-sized, navy blue duffel bag made of nylon. It features a distinct neon-green zipper and a small embroidered logo of a mountain on the front pocket. Inside, there are several essential belongings, including my prescription spectacles and a set of keys, which I urgently require for my daily commute and work.

Could you please check if this bag was secured by your staff during the facility lock-down? If it has been located, I would appreciate it if you could arrange for me to collect it from the reception desk once the renovation work is completed. Alternatively, if a staff member is on-site before the reopening, I would be happy to coordinate a brief window to retrieve it. Please let me know the most convenient way to proceed.

I look forward to your prompt assistance in this matter.

Yours faithfully,

Julian Thorne

188 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response clearly addresses all three bullet points with specific, natural details while maintaining a professional and polite tone throughout. The most common mistake for a Band 6 candidate is failing to provide a clear description of the bag or neglecting to explain why the item is urgent, which limits the task fulfillment.

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.

Useful phrases from the letter

inadvertently: happening by accident or without intending to
duffel bag: a large, cylindrical bag made of cloth
prescription spectacles: glasses made specifically to correct someone's vision
retrieve: to get something back from a place
coordinate: to organize the different elements of an activity
prompt: done without delay or immediate in action

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.

Practise IELTS General writing

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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 long 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.