Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-11-07

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You rode in a taxi yesterday. When you got home, you realized you had left your bag in the taxi.

Write a letter to the manager of the taxi company. In your letter
• explain how you lost your bag.
• describe your bag.
• ask the manager to help you find it.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 7.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing this letter to express my concern about my last ride yesterday from a taxi. Unfortunately, I forgot my bag in that taxi and when I realized it after reached home it was too late.

Firstly, the taxi number is CN1043. I get this number because I booked my taxi from your website. I was with my friend we were returing home after a party and chattering during the ride and when we get off from the taxi I totally forget about my bag.

Furthermore, it is a Gucci bag and black in color. It is quite big bag and also has my name inital on it which I draw by myself with red pen. It has a small teddy bear key chain as well.

Lastely, I would like to request you if you help me to find it because it has all my important stuff like my bank cards, university documents and most important my driving licencs and passport.

Thank you for your time and patience. If you need more information I am willing to provide. I am looking forward to your response.

Yours Faithfully,

Anjali

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.0

The letter covers all three required points clearly: you explain that you forgot the bag after travelling home from a party, identify the bag by its colour and distinctive features, and ask the manager to help locate it. The taxi number and the contents of the bag also give the company useful information, so the main ideas are well developed for this purpose. The request is polite and the closing is appropriate. To make the account even more complete, clarify the sequence of events around getting out of the taxi and noticing the loss; the phrase “when I realized it after reached home” leaves that moment slightly unclear. Overall, the task is addressed well, with only a small detail needing sharper explanation.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information is arranged in a sensible order: the opening explains the problem, the next paragraphs give the taxi and journey details, describe the bag, and make the request. Paragraphing helps the reader locate each part of the message, and transitions such as “Firstly,” “Furthermore,” and “Lastely” signal the progression. The closing also follows naturally. Some linking is a little mechanical, however, and the first paragraph’s account of when you noticed the bag was missing is not fully clear. The sentence “I was with my friend we were returing home…” also joins two ideas without a clear boundary. Use a wider range of natural links and separate related details into complete sentences to make the progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use enough vocabulary to describe the situation and make the letter specific, including “taxi number,” “black in color,” “teddy bear key chain,” and “bank cards.” The distinctive red initials and key chain are useful details, and the tone is generally suitable for a formal request. There are some spelling and word-choice inaccuracies, such as “returing,” “inital,” “Lastely,” and “licencs,” as well as the unnatural phrase “quite big bag.” These do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, but they reduce precision and polish. Check spelling carefully and choose more natural collocations, for example, “a fairly large bag” and “I would be grateful if you could help me locate it.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The letter includes both simple sentences and attempts at more complex structures, such as explaining the journey and giving a reason for the request. Most of the message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity and accuracy. For example, “when I realized it after reached home” needs a complete verb structure, such as “when I realized it after I had reached home.” In “I was with my friend we were returning home,” two clauses need punctuation or a conjunction. There are also errors in verb forms and articles, including “I get this number” and “It is quite big bag.” Practise checking tense consistency and sentence boundaries while retaining your varied sentence forms.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.