Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · 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 8.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to ask for assistance in locating my important documents that I unfortunately forgot in room 20 of your hotel.

I 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 would surely pick them before checking out, accidentally left them.

These documents are extremely 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 and applying for new ones is time-consuming and exceptionally difficult.

I would be grateful if you could coordinate with your housekeeping staff and contact the 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

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly identified the location of the papers (room 20, left drawer), explained their importance (original educational and professional certificates), and provided a clear call to action regarding the lost-and-found and courier services. 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 fully satisfied the requirements of the task.

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 of the problem to the explanation of importance and finally the requested action. Cohesive devices such as 'As for', 'If they are found', and 'In addition' (implied) are used effectively to link sentences. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the flow of information is smooth throughout the text, making it easy for the reader to follow your request.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for a formal business context. Phrases like 'coordinate with your housekeeping staff', 'exceptionally difficult', and 'securely' show a good level of control. There are no significant errors in word choice or collocation. While the vocabulary is functional and accurate, it could be slightly more sophisticated to reach the highest band, but it is certainly sufficient for a Band 7.0+ level. The language used is precise and fits the formal tone required for this task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The letter displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are error-free, and your control over grammar is strong. There is a minor slip in the second paragraph: 'I thought I would surely pick them before checking out, accidentally left them' is missing a subject ('I') in the second clause. However, this is a minor error that does not impede communication. Your use of conditional structures ('If they are found...') and modal verbs ('would be grateful', 'could coordinate') is accurate and adds to the formal tone.

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

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