Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-20

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

Write a letter to the manager of the hotel. In your letter

• say where you think you left the papers
• explain why they are so important
• tell the manager what you want him/her to do

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 7.5)

Dear Sir,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing to ask for your assiatance to locating some papers that I believe I left in my hotel room during my recent stay.

I think I may have accidently left the documents in the drawer beside the bed, or possibly on the desk in the room. They were blue in folder, which should make them relatively easy to identify.

These papers are extremely important because they contain my original educational certificates and some document required for an upcoming job application. Unfortunately, I do not have copies of all of them, so losing them would cause me considerable difficulty and delay.

I would be very grateful if you could ask your housekeeping staff to check the room and the hotel's lost and found department. If the documents are found, please contact me and arrange to have them sent to me by courier. I am happy to cover my delivery costs.

Thank you very much for your assistance. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully,

Neel Mistry.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly identified the location of the papers, explained their significance (original certificates for a job application), and provided a clear request for the manager to check the room and arrange courier delivery. The tone is appropriate for a formal business letter, and the purpose is clear from the outset. The response is well-developed and provides sufficient detail to satisfy the requirements of the task. No parts of the prompt were omitted, and the information provided is relevant and helpful for the recipient.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a specific aspect of the request. The progression of ideas is smooth, moving from the initial inquiry to the description of the items, the reason for their importance, and finally the call to action. Cohesive devices such as 'Unfortunately', 'If the documents are found', and 'I would be very grateful' are used effectively to link ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different sections of the letter, making it easy to follow. The flow is natural and professional throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for a formal letter, such as 'assistance', 'considerable difficulty', and 'identify'. There are a few minor slips, such as 'assiatance' (spelling) and 'blue in folder' (which should be 'in a blue folder'). However, these errors do not impede communication and are infrequent. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your message with precision and professional tone. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate slightly more sophisticated collocations or varied phrasing to describe the documents or the urgency of the situation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The letter uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most sentences are error-free, and the grammar is generally accurate. There are a few minor slips, such as 'accidently' (spelling) and 'some document required' (should be plural 'documents'). Despite these minor issues, the control of grammar is strong, and the punctuation is correct. The use of modal verbs like 'would be' and 'could ask' is appropriate for a polite, formal request. The writing is clear and demonstrates a good command of English sentence structure.

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

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