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 ask for assistance in locating my important documents that I unfortunately forgot in your hotel room 20, where I stayed recently.

I was stayed at your hotel last week and may have kept a file of papers in the left drawer, which was placed beside the bed. I thought I will surely picked them before checking out, accidentally left behind.

These documents are more essential for me because these are all original copies of educational certificates from primary school to university and a file has my previous and current occupational certificate as well. As for growing in life and providing academic and professional knowledge to employers, these papers play a vital role, applying for new ones is time-consuming and difficult.

I would be grateful if you could coordinate with your housekeeping staff and contact to lost-and-found department whether the papers have been handed in. If they are found, please contact me as soon as possible and I would be happy to arrange and pay for a courier service to have them returned to me securely.

Thank you for your time and assistance. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully,

Harjit Lehar

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly identified the location of the papers (the left drawer in room 20), explained their significance (original educational and occupational certificates), and provided a clear request for action (coordinating with housekeeping and arranging a courier). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a hotel manager. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the letter is clear from the outset. You have met all the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose, moving from the introduction to the details of the lost items, the explanation of their importance, and finally the call to action. You use cohesive devices such as 'As for' and 'If they are found' to link your ideas effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different sections of the letter. The flow is smooth, and the reader can easily follow your narrative throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary suitable for a formal request. Phrases like 'coordinate with your housekeeping staff' and 'time-consuming and difficult' are used accurately. There are some minor awkward phrasings, such as 'more essential for me' (which should simply be 'essential' or 'crucial') and 'occupational certificate' (which might be better phrased as 'professional credentials'). However, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly and professionally without any significant errors that impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are several grammatical slips that prevent a higher score. For example, 'I was stayed' should be 'I stayed', and 'I thought I will surely picked them' contains errors in tense and verb form (should be 'I thought I had surely picked them up'). Additionally, 'contact to lost-and-found department' should be 'contact the lost-and-found department'. While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, and you demonstrate a good attempt at using complex structures.

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

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