Sample IELTS GT Task 1 letter: bag left on a train

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to inform you that I left a bag on one of your trains last week, and I would like to ask for your help to find it.

Let me first describe my journey. Last Tuesday, the 19th of May, I travelled from Manchester to London on the 9.30 morning train. I was sitting in coach C, seat 24. The train arrived in London at about 11.45. When I got off the train, I was in a hurry, so I forgot to take my bag with me.

Now I will describe my bag. It is a medium-sized brown leather bag with two handles and a long strap. Inside the bag, there were several important things. There was a black laptop, a blue umbrella, and a small notebook with my work documents. There was also a pair of glasses in a red case. These things are very important for me, especially the laptop, because I need it for my job.

I would be very grateful if you could check your lost property office to see if anyone has found my bag. If you find it, please contact me on my phone number, which is 0777 888 999. I am happy to come to the station to collect it, or I can pay for it to be sent to my home.

Thank you very much for your help. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully, David Clark

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to report that I inadvertently left a bag on one of your trains last week, and to request your assistance in recovering it.

To help you locate it, let me outline the journey I made. On Tuesday 19th May I travelled on the 9.30 service from Manchester to London, seated in coach C, seat 24. The train reached London Euston at approximately 11.45. As I was in something of a rush to make a connection, I stepped off the train without my bag, only realising my mistake some time later.

The bag itself is a medium-sized brown leather holdall with two short handles and a longer detachable shoulder strap. Its contents are of considerable value to me: a black laptop, a folding blue umbrella, a small notebook containing confidential work documents, and a pair of reading glasses in a distinctive red case. The laptop in particular is essential, as I rely on it daily for my work.

I would be extremely grateful if you could check whether the bag has been handed in to your lost property office. Should it be found, please contact me on 0777 888 999 at your earliest convenience. I would be happy either to collect it in person from the station or, alternatively, to cover the cost of having it posted to my home address.

Thank you in advance for your help with this matter. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully, David Clark