Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-07-30

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 REQUEST FOR HELP. AS I TOOK RIDE IN YOUR CAB SERVICE LAST NIGHT AND FORGOT MY BAG IN IT WHICH WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.

I TOOK THE RIDE FROM SURREY CENTRAL SKY TRAIN STATION TO NEWTON EXCHANGE. I PUT MY BAG ON SEAT NEXT TO ME AND GOT WAS BUSY ON MY PHONE. MY STOP ARRIVED AND I JUST GOT OFF AND FORGOT TO TAKE MY BAG.

MY BAG GOT VERY IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS IN IT. AND IT WAS LIKE A SMALL BLACK BRIEFCASE WITH RED STRIPES ON THEM. THE HANDLE HAS BRAND NAME PRINTED ON IT SWIZZ BAGS.

IT'S AN HUMBLE REQUEST PLEASE FIND THAT BAG FOR ME. TO MAKE IT EASIER I BOOK MY CAB THROUGH CALL AND THE TIME WAS 2:00 AM. HOPE YOU WILL TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY AND FIND A WAY. AND PLEASE FELL FREE TO CONTACT ME.

THANKING YOU,

JAMES.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The letter addresses 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 to a company manager. However, the development of ideas is somewhat basic. For instance, the description of the bag is functional but could be more detailed to assist in the recovery process. The inclusion of the booking time and route is a good touch that helps the manager locate the specific trip. Overall, the response covers all parts of the task well, though it lacks a slightly more professional polish in the opening and closing statements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, with each paragraph focusing on a specific aspect of the request. The progression of ideas is clear, moving from the purpose of the letter to the details of the incident, the description of the item, and finally the call to action. While the use of cohesive devices is somewhat limited and occasionally repetitive (e.g., starting sentences with 'I'), the overall structure is easy to follow. The paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different stages of the narrative, which helps the reader navigate the information efficiently.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to communicate the situation clearly. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'I took ride' (should be 'I took a ride') and 'my bag got very important documents' (should be 'my bag contained'). The use of 'humble request' is a bit clichéd but fits the formal context. To reach a higher band, the student should aim for more precise collocations and a slightly wider range of vocabulary related to lost property and formal correspondence.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response shows a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'got was busy' (should be 'I was busy'), 'on them' (referring to a singular bag), and 'I book my cab' (should be 'I booked'). Punctuation is generally functional, though there are some issues with sentence boundaries and capitalization. While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede the overall meaning of the letter. The writer demonstrates enough control to convey the message, but more attention to verb tenses and article usage is needed for a higher score.

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