Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-04

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You rode in a taxi yesterday. When you got home, you realized you had left your bag in the taxi.

Write a letter to the manager of the taxi company. In your letter
• explain how you lost your bag.
• describe your bag.
• ask the manager to help you find it.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 6.0)

Dear Sir,

I am writing this letter to seek your favourable assistant to locate my lost bag during my last night ride.

I was riding back home from Downtown Toronto to Milton at 7:30 PM yesterday. During this period I got call from my manager and I was deeply involved in the talk, which made to forget about the bag. Until I reach home I did not realise about the bag and when I did the driver already left the place. I tried many times to contact the driving person but all the efforts went vain.

My bag is black and grey in colour with Adidas logo on the top right corner. This also has two external zip locks. In the first zip there are some client documents, office ID with my photo and purple lunch box. Another one has my Lenovo laptop in it.

I would greatly appreciate if you can check and confirm to the below contact details.

Hoping to receive your priority attention towards this matter.

Yours faithfully,

Anjali Reddy

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explain how the bag was lost, provide a detailed description of the item, and include a request for assistance. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a manager. The ideas are well-developed, and the purpose of the letter is clear from the outset. To reach a higher band, ensure that the opening and closing salutations are consistent; you began with 'Dear Sir' but used 'Yours faithfully', which is acceptable, but ensure the salutation matches the gender-neutral prompt 'Dear Sir or Madam' if you are unsure of the recipient's gender.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a specific aspect of the task. The progression of ideas is clear, moving from the incident to the description and finally the request. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Until I reach home' and 'In the first zip', which help guide the reader. However, the flow could be improved by using more varied linking words to connect sentences more fluidly. For instance, the transition between the incident and the description is a bit abrupt. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to the clarity of the message.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. Phrases like 'favourable assistant' (though 'assistance' is the correct noun) and 'deeply involved in the talk' are understandable but slightly unnatural. There are some minor errors in word choice, such as 'driving person' instead of 'driver' and 'priority attention' instead of 'urgent attention'. While the vocabulary is sufficient for the task, incorporating more precise collocations would elevate the response. The description of the bag is specific and effective, which helps in identifying the lost item.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'seek your favourable assistant' (should be 'assistance'), 'made to forget' (should be 'made me forget'), and 'Until I reach home' (should be 'Until I reached home'). Additionally, 'the driver already left' should be 'the driver had already left' to correctly show the sequence of past events. While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede the overall meaning of your letter. Focusing on verb tense consistency and noun-verb agreement will help improve your accuracy.

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

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