Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-26

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,

My name is Adam Gilbert. I was staying at your prestigious hotel from 20th March 2026 to 26th March 2026. I visited the hotel primarily for a business conference and my stay was extremely pleasant, thanks to your warm staff.

Unfortunately, I left some important documents at the property. It included some of my business documents, which I need for an upcoming business meeting. I think that I left the papers at my desk in room 216, which is the same room where I was staying.

I request you to see if you can find those documents. If you do find the documents, please mail them to me in a sealed envelope as the documents are confidential. You must be having my address and phone number in your records. I will be glad to pay the courier charges.

I hope to hear back from you soon.

Best regards,

Adam Gilbert

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly identify the location of the papers (the desk in room 216), explain their importance (needed for an upcoming business meeting and confidential), and provide a clear request for the manager to mail them. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a hotel manager, and the purpose of the communication is immediately clear. The response is well-focused and covers all 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 specific purpose, moving from the introduction of the visit to the problem, the request, and finally the closing. Cohesive devices such as 'Unfortunately', 'If you do find', and 'as' are used appropriately to link sentences. The paragraphing is logical and helps the reader follow the narrative easily. The flow is smooth, and there is no confusion regarding the sequence of events or the nature of the request.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for a formal business context. Phrases like 'prestigious hotel', 'extremely pleasant', and 'confidential' are used accurately. While the vocabulary is functional and clear, it could be elevated further to reach a higher band by incorporating more sophisticated collocations or less common lexical items. For instance, instead of 'I request you to see', a more natural phrasing would be 'I would be grateful if you could check'. Overall, the vocabulary is sufficient and precise enough to convey your meaning without error.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The grammar is generally accurate, and you use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. There are no major errors that impede communication. A minor improvement would be to refine the phrasing 'You must be having my address', which is slightly unnatural; 'You should have my address' or 'My contact details are on file' would be more idiomatic. The use of punctuation is correct, and the sentence construction is consistently clear throughout the letter.

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

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