Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-15

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 inform you regarding an item I left in your taxi, yesterday. The item in question here is a hand bag, which I was carrying yesterday. I kept my bag in the trunk of the taxi to save the space, as we were five people in the car. I believe I forgot to pick it up when I was leaving the taxi.

My hand bag is small in size, approximately 15x6cm in size, roughly rectangular in shape and red in color with transparent pearls on top. It has has a minion shaped keychain attached to the side holder which makes its unique, and it will help you to identify it correctly.

Could you help me find my bag at your earliest convenience? I would really appreciate your response, as I am leaving the city in three days and I cannot afford to lose my bag. I have attached the taxi details and locations that I used yesterday. Please let me know if you require any further information. I look forwards to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Inshal.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The letter clearly addresses all three requirements: you explain that the bag was placed in the taxi’s trunk because there were five passengers, describe its size, shape, colour and distinctive keychain, and ask the manager to help locate it. The detail that you are leaving in three days also gives a clear reason for urgency. These relevant details make the request easy to understand and support the purpose throughout. To make the response more fully developed, specify the taxi journey more precisely—for example, the time, pickup and drop-off locations, or a taxi identification number—rather than referring generally to “the taxi details and locations” you have attached. This would make it easier for the manager to act on your request.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information follows a clear, logical order: you introduce the problem, describe the bag, and then make your request and offer further information. Paragraphing helps distinguish these stages, and phrases such as “The item in question” and “Could you help me find my bag” guide the reader through the letter. The progression is easy to follow, although some linking and reference choices are less natural, such as “The item in question here” and the repeated use of “yesterday” in the opening. You could make the flow more polished by using concise transitions and avoiding repeated information. For example, combine the first two sentences and move directly from the journey circumstances to the moment you realised the bag was missing.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of vocabulary to describe the situation and the bag, including “trunk,” “rectangular,” “transparent pearls,” and “identify.” The distinctive keychain detail is particularly useful and precise. Some choices and collocations are less natural, however: “inform you regarding” is wordy, “save the space” is not idiomatic in this context, and “makes its unique” is an inaccurate expression. There is also repetition of “bag” and “yesterday.” These do not prevent understanding, but they limit the naturalness and flexibility of the vocabulary. Aim for concise, conventional phrases such as “report that I left” and “to make more room,” and check word forms and possessives when describing identifying features.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The letter includes a mix of simple and more developed sentence forms, and most of the message remains clear. For example, the sentence explaining that you kept the bag in the trunk because there were five people gives a reason, while the final paragraph combines a request with supporting information. Some grammatical errors remain: “I kept my bag in the trunk … as we were five people” has an awkward clause structure, “It has has” repeats the verb, and “which makes its unique” has an incorrect possessive form. The comma in “your taxi, yesterday” is also unnecessary. Proofreading for repeated words, pronouns and clause construction would improve accuracy while preserving your range of sentence patterns.

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

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