Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-24

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/Madam,

I am writing to express my concern regarding the sling bag that I left in one of your taxi with number PBC[redacted phone] yesterday while I was coming home at 7:30 p.m. from chandigarh.

After finishing my college at 7:20 p.m., I booked a ride to home with two of my friends. While we all were busy discussing about assignments in taxi throughout the journey, when I reached my destination, I had not realised that I left my bag in cab until I came into my room. I have been persistently trying to contact your company, but unfortunately no response.

To give you a detail description of my bag, It is a leather bag with balck colour in with Aldo brand. Besides this, there is a small pink Barbie key chain hooked in the zip with three evil eye charms. I would appreciate it if you could contact with your taxi drivers to find if my bag is handed over to lost and found department. Should you require any further details, please contact me [redacted email] email.

I would therefore be grateful if you could look into this matter at your earliest convenience.

I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible.

Yours faithfully,

Rashim

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.0

The letter covers all three required points clearly: you explain that you left the bag in the taxi after travelling home, describe its colour, brand and distinctive key chains, and ask the manager to help locate it. The taxi number and journey time also make the report more actionable, while the polite request and closing suit a formal letter. The explanation is sufficiently developed, and the identifying details make the description useful. To make the response even more complete, clarify whether you have already reported the loss by phone or email and provide a contact number as well as an email address, so the company has a direct way to follow up. Overall, the purpose is clear and well sustained.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

The information is arranged in a sensible sequence: the opening identifies the loss, the next paragraph explains how it happened, and the following paragraph describes the bag and requests assistance. The final sentences provide a courteous close. Linking expressions such as “After finishing,” “Besides this,” and “I would therefore” help guide the reader, and paragraphing is appropriate. Some connections are less smooth, however: “While we all were busy …, when I reached my destination” combines two time clauses awkwardly, and the shift from the unsuccessful contact attempt to the bag description could be clearer. Use more direct transitions and avoid stacking time markers, so the progression feels more natural and less dependent on explicit linking phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the purpose, including useful specific terms such as “sling bag,” “leather,” “key chain,” and “lost and found department.” The details are generally understandable, and the formal phrases “express my concern” and “at your earliest convenience” suit the letter. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, though: “booked a ride to home,” “contact with your taxi drivers,” and “a detail description” do not sound idiomatic. There are also spelling and form errors, including “balck” and “chandigarh.” These do not prevent understanding, but careful proofreading and more natural combinations would improve precision. Aim to use familiar vocabulary accurately rather than adding formal phrases that do not fit the sentence.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The letter includes a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a conditional request (“I would appreciate it if…”) and a polite inversion (“Should you require…”). Most ideas remain clear, but some grammatical errors occur. For example, “one of your taxi” needs a plural noun, and “While we all were busy …, when I reached my destination” has an awkward clause structure. In “I had not realised that I left my bag,” the tense sequence should be made consistent, and “contact me … email” needs a grammatical preposition or a clearer clause. Sentence boundaries and capitalisation also need attention, particularly “It” after a comma. Review clause construction, articles and prepositions, while retaining the useful variety of structures already attempted.

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

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