Task 1 Letter (GT): Insurance Claim

Question: On a recent holiday you lost a valuable item. Fortunately you have travel insurance to cover the cost of anything lost. Write a letter to your insurance company. In your letter:

• describe the item you lost.

• explain how you lost it.

• tell the insurance company what you would like them do.

Band 8+ Sample Answer:

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to make an insurance claim for an item which was recently stolen while on holiday in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Yesterday morning (30/8) at around 7am I took a stroll around the area near to my hotel. I stopped in front of The Reunification Palace to admire its romantic beauty in the morning fog. Suddenly a local thief on a motorbike pulled up next to me and grabbed my brand new Samsung Galaxy 9X, which I had just taken out of my bag in order to take a photo. I tried to grab it back and shout for help, but unfortunately at that time of the day there were only some early-risers doing morning exercises. And so all I could do was watch the thief disappear with my new phone, although luckily I was unhurt in the incident.

I would like to claim for full compensation for the loss of the item, which I bought for $999 from The Smart Device Company in Ontario, CA. I enclose a scan of the receipt dated 9/8/18. I have also enclosed a copy of the police report. I would appreciate it if you could process my claim as a priority, as I need to buy a new phone as soon as possible.

I look forward to hearing from you soon,

Yours faithfully,

(229 words)

Words: Student letter, corrected & upgraded by Nick Kemp, former IELTS examiner.

Image: Zibik / Pixabay