Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-07-24

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 7.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am Sarah Aly and I travelled in one of your taxis yesterday from Central library to Alpha Housing Society. Luckily, I booked the taxi online and I have ride details with me. The driver's name appeared as Danial and taxi registration number was TZ-1234. This trip was in afternoon around 2pm.

As soon as i settled in the taxi I kept my handbag just beside me on the seat, while I kept the large tote bag under the seat containing books. I winked my eyes on the way, and I woke up with taxi driver honking loudly. In that moment, I got a little panicked and rushed to get of the taxi quickly picking my large tote bag but forgetting my small handbag.

My handbag was a small black crossbody bag with brown straps. One more identification is that there was a acrylic keychain of letter "S" hanging in my bag.

I want to request if you could track the booking details and find the taxi to help me find my bag. It is very important for me all my bank cards including my ID card was in the bag.

I am hoping to hear a positive reply.

Yours sincerely,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly explained how the bag was lost, provided a detailed description of the item, and made a clear request for assistance. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a company manager. The ideas are well-developed, and the purpose of the letter is clear from the beginning. You have provided sufficient detail, such as the taxi registration and the specific contents of the bag, which makes the request more realistic and effective. The response is well-structured and fully satisfies the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter is logically organized, with a clear progression of ideas from the introduction to the conclusion. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the task, which helps the reader follow your narrative easily. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'As soon as' and 'In that moment', to link events. However, the flow could be further improved by using a wider variety of linking words or transition phrases between sentences to make the text feel more cohesive and less like a series of individual statements. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate and the message is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task. You use specific terms like 'registration number', 'crossbody bag', and 'acrylic keychain', which are precise and relevant. There are some minor word choice issues, such as 'I winked my eyes' (which is an idiom usually meaning to blink or signal, rather than to nap) and 'get of the taxi' (should be 'get off'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, incorporating more sophisticated collocations or varied descriptive language would help elevate your score. The current range is functional and appropriate for a semi-formal request.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'I kept my handbag just beside me... while I kept the large tote bag' (the use of 'while' here is slightly awkward) and 'all my bank cards including my ID card was in the bag' (subject-verb agreement error: 'were'). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and capitalization slips, such as the lowercase 'i' in 'As soon as i settled'. Despite these errors, the meaning is never obscured, and the grammar is generally controlled enough to maintain clear communication throughout the letter.

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