Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-25

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 or Madam,

I am writing to request your urgent assistance in recovering some important documents that I inadvertently left behind during my recent stay at your hotel. I checked out of Room 402 on the morning of October 12th.

I believe I left a manila folder containing the papers in the drawer of the study desk next to the windows,as I was reviewing them there just before my departure.

These documents are absolutely vital to my business. They consist of original, signed client contracts and proprietary financial data for an upcoming corporate merger. Unfortunately, I do not possess duplicate reputation and delay our project timelines.

I would be most grateful if you could instruct your staff yo inspect the room immediately. If the folder is located, please secure it at the reception. I will gladly cover all courier expenses to have it safely shipped back to my office.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Yours faithfully,

Aesha Patel

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly identified the location of the papers (the study desk in Room 402), explained their significance (original contracts and financial data for a merger), and provided a clear call to action for the manager. The tone is appropriately formal and professional for a letter to a hotel manager. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the letter is immediately clear to the reader. You have fully satisfied the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose, moving from the context of the stay to the specific problem, and finally to the requested solution. You have used cohesive devices effectively, such as 'Unfortunately' and 'If the folder is located', to guide the reader through the text. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter, and the flow between sentences is smooth and natural. There is no evidence of mechanical or repetitive use of linking words.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a strong command of vocabulary, using precise and professional terms such as 'inadvertently', 'proprietary', 'corporate merger', and 'courier expenses'. These choices are highly appropriate for the context of a business-related inquiry. There is one minor error where you wrote 'duplicate reputation' instead of 'duplicates', which appears to be a slip rather than a lack of vocabulary range. Overall, the language is sophisticated and contributes to the professional tone of the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a variety of complex sentence structures effectively, such as conditional clauses ('If the folder is located...') and relative clauses ('...that I inadvertently left behind...'). The majority of your sentences are error-free. There is a minor typo ('yo' instead of 'to') and a slight grammatical awkwardness in the sentence 'I do not possess duplicate reputation and delay our project timelines', which seems to be missing a subject or a conjunction. However, these are rare slips that do not impede the overall clarity of your message.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.