Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-07

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,

I am writing this letter to seek your help with my lost item. My name is Navdeep and yesterday I booked your company's taxi from airport to my home around 7 pm in the evening. I kept my luggage in the trunk and other carry on items like laptop bag and a small brief case on the back seat of the cab next to me. The journey went really smooth.

Nevertheless, upon my return to home when I started unpacking my things, I realised I have left that laptop bag in the taxi.

Immediately, I tried contacting the chauffer but call didn't got connected. I tried reaching out customer service as well but server was busy.

As mentioned previously, it was a laptop bag made of leather material and was tan in color, last time I remember it was on the back seat of the taxi along with my other bag. The bag includes a laptop, charger. some documents and other accessories.

It would be a great help if you can help me find my lost bag as it is my company's laptop and the system contain confidential information.

Looking forward to hearing from you. Let me know if you need more details.

Your sincerely,

Navdeep

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The letter clearly addresses all three requirements: you explain that the laptop bag was left on the back seat after the taxi journey, describe its tan leather appearance and contents, and ask the manager to help locate it. The detail that it contains a company laptop with confidential information also gives a clear reason for urgency. The main limitation is that the request remains fairly general: “help me find my lost bag” does not specify practical steps such as checking the vehicle, contacting the driver, or telling you when to expect an update. Adding one or two precise requests would make the purpose more fully developed. The opening and closing are appropriate in intent, though the salutation and sign-off could be matched more consistently to a formal letter.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information follows a clear sequence: the taxi journey, discovery of the loss, attempts to contact the driver and customer service, the bag’s description, and the request for help. Paragraphing also separates these stages effectively, and transitions such as “Nevertheless” and “As mentioned previously” help signal movement between ideas. Some links are less natural or precise: “As mentioned previously” refers back to information that was not actually stated earlier, while “Nevertheless” suggests a contrast that is not quite present. The final request and closing could also be joined more smoothly. More direct transitions and a clearer progression from the loss to the action you want the manager to take would make the organisation feel more flexible and polished.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the situation, including “luggage,” “back seat,” “confidential information,” and “customer service,” so the reader can understand the circumstances and the importance of recovering the bag. There are also attempts at more specific description, such as “tan in color” and “made of leather material.” However, some choices are awkward or imprecise: “lost item” is less specific than “missing bag,” “chauffer” is misspelled, and “the system contain” uses an unsuitable form and collocation. “The journey went really smooth” is also informal and not idiomatic in this context. Aim for natural, precise phrases such as “the journey went smoothly” and “the laptop contains confidential company information” to improve control and formality.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The letter includes a mix of simple and more developed sentence forms, and most meaning remains clear. For example, the opening explains the journey and where the bags were placed, while the sentence beginning “As mentioned previously” combines description with location. Some grammatical errors remain: “I realised I have left” should use a past-perfect form (“had left”), “call didn’t got connected” should be “the call didn’t connect,” and “if you can help” would be more consistent as “if you could help” in a polite request. There are also errors in agreement and punctuation in “the system contain confidential information” and “a laptop, charger. some documents.” Review tense consistency, auxiliary verbs, subject–verb agreement, and sentence boundaries. These corrections would make the letter more accurate while preserving its clear message.

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

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