Complaint About Invalid Train Tickets and Unhelpful Staff

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 you were unhappy with the staff Suggest what action the train company should take

Annotated response

10 correction notes

to I experienced during a recent journey with your train company.

Before my scheduled journey, I purchased train tickets online . However, upon arriving at the station on the day of departure, your staff informed me that . I was deeply disappointed by the lack of your staff. Despite my efforts to , they were unresponsive and provided no satisfactory explanation.

Given this situation, I would like to recommend that the train company immediate action to address . Firstly, improved communication and coordination between the online booking system and station staff to ensure the accuracy and validity of tickets. Additionally, I suggest providing comprehensive to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to handle customer queries and complaints effectively.

I trust that you will take this matter seriously and implement the necessary measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

Sincerely,

Manoj

Overall assessment

Why this response received Band 7.0

The letter is well organised, appropriately formal, and covers all three bullet points with clear purpose and relevant detail. Its main limitation is that the description of the problem and the staff behaviour remains somewhat general, with specific details such as dates, destinations, or actual exchanges left undeveloped, which slightly limits full task extension.

IELTS criteria

How each score was decided

Task Achievement

7.0

The purpose is clear and all three bullets — the invalid tickets, the unhelpful staff, and suggested actions — are covered in a suitably formal register, though detail on the incident itself is somewhat general.

Coherence and Cohesion

7.0

The letter is logically organised into paragraphs matching each bullet, with cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Given this situation', and 'Firstly' used naturally to support clear progression.

Lexical Resource

7.0

Vocabulary is flexible and appropriately formal, with phrases like 'deeply disappointed', 'lack of assistance', and 'comprehensive support', though some wording is slightly generic.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

7.0

Grammar is accurate throughout with varied structures, including complex sentences and correct formal constructions; errors are rare and non-impeding.