Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-07-28

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)

I am writing to report a bag that I accidentally left in one of your taxis yesterday.

I took a taxi from the city centre to my home at around 8 p.m. When I arrived home, I realised that I had left my bag on the back seat of the taxi. Unfortunately, I do not remember the taxi number, but I can provide the time and route of my journey to help you identify the driver.

The bag is a medium-sized black leather handbag with a silver zip. It contains my wallet, some personal documents, a mobile charger, and a few other important belongings.

I would be very grateful if you could contact your taxi drivers and help me locate my bag. Please let me know if it has been found and how I can collect it from u . It is very important to locate my bag as it has some really necessary documents .

Thank you for your assistance. I look forward to hearing from you soon. I would be very thankful to you .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The response fully addresses all three bullet points of the task. You clearly explain how the bag was lost, provide a detailed description of the item, and make a polite request for assistance. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a company manager. All parts of the prompt are covered well, and the purpose of the letter is clear from the beginning. No information is missing, and the ideas are developed sufficiently for this task type.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose: the introduction states the purpose, the body paragraphs provide the necessary details, and the conclusion offers a polite closing. Cohesive devices such as 'Unfortunately', 'However', and 'In addition' (implied) are used effectively to link sentences. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the flow of information is smooth throughout the text, making it easy for the reader to follow your request.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary suitable for a formal request. Phrases like 'identify the driver', 'locate my bag', and 'grateful for your assistance' are used accurately. While the vocabulary is functional and clear, there is room to incorporate more sophisticated or precise collocations to reach a higher band. There are no spelling errors, and the word choice is consistently appropriate for the context of a lost property report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The grammar is generally accurate, with a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You correctly use past tenses to describe the event ('I took', 'I realised', 'I had left') and present/future forms for the request. There are a few minor issues, such as the informal 'u' instead of 'you' and a slight repetition in the final sentence ('I would be very thankful to you'). However, these errors are infrequent and do not impede communication. The punctuation is generally correct.

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