Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-12

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 would like to raise an issue of my lost bag. Last night, I was traveling in one of you taxi from Lauzon 510 to 210 wiles with a driver named Mike. During that trip I had a handbag on myself which I left in there and only realized it when I reached home.

The lost item was a leopard printed coach bag that had a pink custom keychain attached to the right side and a small tear on the back of it. Moreover, the bag had a C charm engraved in the front side in black colour. I believe I forgot the bag in between the backseat of the car.

If possible can you help me find my bag as it hold huge emotional sentiments in my life. I will be grateful for your help and you can contact me for more information.

Yours faithfully

Mehakdeep Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The letter addresses all three required points: it explains that the bag was left in the taxi after the journey, gives identifying details such as the leopard print, pink keychain and small tear, and asks the manager to help locate it. The specific description makes the request useful, and the polite closing suits the purpose. The explanation of how it was lost could be clearer: “I left in there” does not specify the moment or circumstances, while “I believe I forgot the bag in between the backseat” gives a possible location but not a fully clear account. To strengthen the response further, state directly that you left it on the back seat and noticed it was missing only after arriving home, then make the requested follow-up action explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information is arranged in a sensible sequence: the journey and loss are introduced first, the bag is described next, and the request and closing come last. Paragraphing helps distinguish these stages, and linking expressions such as “Moreover” and “If possible” guide the reader. The progression is clear overall, though some connections are slightly awkward or repetitive; for example, the first paragraph says the bag was left in the taxi, and the next returns to where it may have been left. The reference in “I left in there” is also not fully clear. A more direct sequence—journey, discovery of the loss, identifying features, then a specific request—would make the letter flow more smoothly.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range for the purpose and include useful descriptive vocabulary, including “leopard printed,” “custom keychain,” “small tear,” and “engraved,” which help identify the bag. The tone is generally polite and appropriate for a formal enquiry. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, however: “raise an issue of my lost bag,” “on myself,” and “huge emotional sentiments” do not express the intended meaning naturally. “Coach bag” may also be unclear unless it refers to the brand. These attempts show some range, but more precise, conventional phrasing would improve fluency and clarity. For example, use “report my missing bag,” “with me,” and “has great sentimental value.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The letter includes both simple and more developed sentence forms, such as the opening account of the journey and the sentence describing the bag’s features. Meaning is generally understandable, but some grammatical errors remain. In “one of you taxi,” the possessive form and plural are incorrect; “one of your taxis” is needed. “I left in there” is missing an object and has an unclear structure, while “as it hold” needs subject–verb agreement (“as it holds”). The conditional request would also be clearer with punctuation: “If possible, could you help me find my bag?” These errors do not usually prevent understanding, but checking possessives, verb agreement and sentence boundaries would make the writing more accurate.

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

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