Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-16

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'm writing to report a bag that I accidentally left in one of your taxis yesterday and to ask for your assistance in recovering it.

Yesterday afternoon, I took one of your taxis from the city centre to my home. I was carrying the bag with me and i got into the vehicle and placed it beside me ion the back seat. However, after arriving home, I realised that I had left the bag in the taxi. Unfortunately, I do not remember the driver's name, but I remember that the journey took approximately 20 minutes.

It's a black leather bag, medium size and it has silver zippers by the side. There's a lip balm, wallet and tissue inside the bag.

I would appreciate if you could check wether the driver has found the bag and, if possible, contact him to confirm whether it was left in the taxi. I would also be grateful if you could check the company's lost property

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points: explaining how the bag was lost, describing the item, and requesting assistance. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a company manager. The ideas are clearly presented, and the purpose of the letter is established immediately. To reach a higher band, you could provide more specific details, such as the time of the journey or the taxi's license plate number if known, to further assist the manager in their search. Overall, the response is well-focused and meets all requirements of the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a specific aspect of the task. The progression of ideas is clear, moving from the situation to the description and finally the request for action. Cohesive devices are used effectively, such as 'However' and 'Therefore' (implied), which help the flow. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different sections of the letter. The structure is clear and easy to follow, which is a key requirement for this band level.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. Phrases like 'accidentally left', 'recovering it', and 'lost property' are accurate and appropriate for the context. There are a few minor errors, such as 'wether' (spelling) and the missing punctuation at the end of the final sentence. While the vocabulary is functional and precise enough for the task, incorporating a few more sophisticated collocations or less common lexical items would elevate the score further.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The letter uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most sentences are error-free, and the meaning is always clear. There are some minor slips, such as the lowercase 'i' in 'i got into the vehicle', the typo 'ion' instead of 'in', and the missing full stop at the end of the letter. These are non-systematic errors that do not impede communication. To achieve a higher score, ensure consistent attention to capitalization and punctuation, and try to vary your sentence structure even more.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.