Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to report a formal complaint about my bag that I had lost in your taxi.

Yesterday, I booked taxi from your company to reach at my sister's house and I was carrying a handbag. In the way to her house, I stopped at the coffee shop and I left my bag in that taxi without knowing. When I reached at the location after 1 hour I realized I forgot my bag.

My handbag was black in color made of pure leather. It has beautiful keychain hanged on the outer side. That bag also has golden strips to make it more appealing. Most importantly, I have my license in the top shelve from where someone can easily recognize it.

It would be great if any action can be taken by your company to help me find out my bag. I have some valuable items in it. Therefore, any help from your side would highly appreciated.

I am looking forward to hear any answer about my bag

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the prompt: explaining how the bag was lost, describing the bag, and requesting assistance. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter. However, the opening sentence is slightly awkward; you describe it as a 'formal complaint,' but the situation is actually a request for assistance regarding a lost item. A more natural opening would be 'I am writing to report that I left my bag in one of your taxis yesterday.' The ideas are clear and the purpose of the letter is well-defined, meeting the requirements for a Band 6.5-7.0 level of task fulfillment.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter is logically organized into distinct paragraphs, each serving a specific purpose. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Yesterday,' 'In the way,' and 'Most importantly' to guide the reader. However, some transitions are a bit mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be improved with more varied linking words. For example, the transition between the description of the bag and the request for help is functional but could be smoother. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate, and the progression of ideas is clear throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'valuable items' and 'appealing.' However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For instance, you use 'hanged' instead of 'hanging' for the keychain, and 'top shelve' instead of 'top pocket' or 'inner compartment.' Additionally, 'reach at my sister's house' is incorrect; 'reach' does not take a preposition, and 'arrive at' would be better. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise control over common collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is good. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. Examples include 'I booked taxi' (missing an article), 'In the way to her house' (should be 'On the way'), and 'I am looking forward to hear' (should be 'looking forward to hearing'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding your message. To reach a higher band, focus on consistent use of articles and correct verb forms after phrases like 'look forward to.'

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