Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-20

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 am writing this letter to inform you that I lost my bag in one of your taxis yesterday night. Since I was coming home late from shopping I booked a ride through your company as it has always been my most reliable travel partner.

I realised I had lost my bag as soon as I stepped into my apartment, but the driver had gone back by the time I rushed downstairs . My bag was a small brown bag , approximately the size of a small notebook. It also had my initials AS engraved on it alongwith a small heart shaped keychain attached to the zipper.

I would be highly obliged if you could help me find it because all my essential cards and a spare apartment key was in my bag.There was also no significant cash just a 50 dollar bill inside. The taxi I rode was a blue Sedan and the number was [redacted phone]. I have already filed an online complaint on your company portal yesterday night.

It would be a great help if you could solve this matter promptly.

Kind Regards

Amy Scott

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.0

The letter fulfils all three requirements clearly: it explains that you noticed the bag was missing after reaching your apartment, describes its colour, size, initials and keychain, and directly asks the manager to help locate it. Including the taxi’s colour and number, the online complaint, and the contents of the bag gives the company useful details and supports the request. The purpose and polite tone are maintained throughout, and the ideas are sufficiently developed for the situation. To make the request even more complete, you could specify how the manager should contact you or ask for confirmation that the complaint has been received. Overall, the task is handled fully and effectively, with only a small opportunity to make the next step more explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information follows a sensible sequence: you explain the journey and how you discovered the loss, describe the bag, then provide identifying details and request assistance. Paragraphing helps separate these stages, and links such as “Since” and “because” make relationships between ideas clear. The letter is easy to follow, although some details in the final paragraph—what was inside, the taxi identification, and the complaint already filed—are packed together. A clearer separation or a brief transition would make this section more controlled. The closing request also repeats the general appeal for help without adding a specific next action. Overall, progression is clear and cohesive devices are used flexibly, with some room to refine the grouping of information.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

You use a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the incident and make the request precise, including “initials,” “engraved,” “keychain,” “essential cards,” and “filed an online complaint.” These choices suit a formal letter and help identify the bag. Some expressions are less natural or precise: “yesterday night” is better expressed as “last night,” while “most reliable travel partner” sounds promotional rather than appropriate to a lost-property report. “Solve this matter” is also less idiomatic than “resolve this matter” or “assist in locating my bag.” There are a few presentation issues, such as “alongwith,” which should be written as two words. Overall, vocabulary is varied enough for the task, though more natural collocations would improve precision and style.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

The letter includes a useful mix of sentence forms, including the subordinate clause “Since I was coming home late from shopping” and the conditional request “if you could help me find it.” Many sentences are clear and grammatically controlled, and the sequence of past events is generally understandable. A few errors remain: in “all my essential cards and a spare apartment key was in my bag,” the compound subject requires “were”; “I realised I had lost my bag as soon as I stepped into my apartment” would be clearer with “realised that I had left my bag behind”; and punctuation spacing is inconsistent, with spaces before commas and a full stop. These do not prevent understanding, but checking agreement and punctuation would make the otherwise varied structures more consistently accurate.

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

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