Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-07-25

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 8.0)

Dear sir

It is not with best emotions that I write to inform you that I left my bag in one of the taxis registered to your company yesterday

I am usually not so forgetful. The thing is I was returning from a rather stressful journey and I initially had 2 bags. I had just stopped by the mall adjacent the airport to shop some snacks for my kids, but when I had gotten home, I guess I unconsciously took the two bags that I had been accustomed to thereby leaving my hand bag.

The bag is a tote bag, measuring about 26cm in width, it is cream colour but the long straps are brown. It has a picture of an astronaut on it and an inscription "love you to the moon and back". The content are a pink purse, some wipes, a body spray and moisturizer and a few clothes.

Please sir, I'd be very grateful is the bag is found and returned. I'll send a picture of the payment ticket and it may contain information as to the particular car in question. I'd be waiting to hear from you

Yours sincerely

Ruth

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explained the circumstances of the loss, provided a detailed description of the bag, and included a polite request for assistance. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a manager. The ideas are well-developed, and the inclusion of the payment ticket detail adds a practical touch that enhances the task response. The letter is coherent and follows the conventions of a formal request effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a specific aspect of the task. You use clear paragraph breaks to separate the introduction, the narrative of the loss, the description, and the closing request. While the transition between the first and second paragraph could be slightly smoother, the overall progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'The thing is', 'thereby', and 'in question' are used appropriately to link your sentences and ideas together.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary, such as 'adjacent', 'unconsciously', and 'accustomed to'. The description of the bag is precise and uses specific terminology like 'tote bag' and 'inscription'. There are minor issues with word choice, such as 'shop some snacks' (should be 'buy') and 'content are' (should be 'contents are'), but these do not impede communication. Overall, your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your message clearly and with a degree of sophistication appropriate for this task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. There are some minor grammatical slips, such as 'Dear sir' (should be 'Dear Sir or Madam' as per the prompt's instruction), 'grateful is the bag is found' (should be 'grateful if the bag were found'), and 'content are' (should be 'contents are'). However, these errors are infrequent and do not cause confusion. Your control over punctuation and sentence construction is generally strong, and the majority of your sentences are error-free.

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