Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-16

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 help in locating papers that I left behind in my room during my stay in your hotel yesterday.

I stayed in room number 302. I believe the papers might be in the drawer near the bed where I put my belongings. They are in the black file with my name tag on it.

Those papers are very important to me because this file not only contains an offer letter from my upcoming job interview but also has my proof of identification. If I lose it, it would be very difficult as well as time consuming to obtain them again.

Could you please ask a member of the housekeeping staff to look for it in my room. If you find that file, could you please mail it to my address, I am willing to cover all the shipping costs.

Thank you for your prompt action to this matter. I look forward to receiving the file as soon as possible.

Yours faithfully,

Axay Nayi

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response effectively covers all bullet points required by the task prompt. The writer successfully says where the papers were likely left, specifically mentioning room number 302 and the drawer near the bed. Furthermore, the explanation of why they are important is clearly articulated, noting that the black file contains both an upcoming job interview offer letter and crucial proof of identification. Finally, the manager is given a precise action to take, which includes asking housekeeping to check the room and mailing the file to the student's address while offering to cover shipping costs. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a manager. Ideas are fully developed and appropriately extended throughout the text. Therefore, this performance meets the requirements for a high band score under Task Achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter exhibits a clear logical progression from stating the purpose of the communication to detailing the location of the lost items, explaining their importance, and finally requesting specific actions. Paragraphing is used effectively and appropriately, with distinct paragraphs handling separate aspects of the letter's content, such as location and importance. Cohesive devices are managed well, using referencing such as 'Those papers' and 'that file' to maintain smooth transitions between sentences. Salutations and sign-offs are standard and properly formatted for a formal letter. Overall organisation supports the clarity of the message without any obtrusive or repetitive structural elements.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The student demonstrates an adequate and flexible range of vocabulary suitable for a transactional letter. Phrases such as 'request help in locating papers', 'proof of identification', and 'prompt action' show a good grasp of functional vocabulary. There are minor slips in word choice, such as the punctuation error in 'action to this matter' instead of 'action regarding this matter', but these do not impede communication. Less common lexical items are attempted with some awareness of style and collocation, although vocabulary control remains generally standard rather than highly sophisticated. The spelling and phrasing throughout the text are clear and easily understood by the reader.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The writer uses a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'I believe the papers might be in the drawer near the bed where I put my belongings' and 'If I lose it, it would be very difficult as well as time consuming to obtain them again.' The majority of sentences are grammatically sound and error-free. Punctuation is generally well-controlled, although there is a missing question mark in the sentence 'Could you please ask a member of the housekeeping staff to look for it in my room.' and a comma splice in 'could you please mail it to my address, I am willing to cover all the shipping costs.' Minor slips do not impede overall communication.

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

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