Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-10

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 6.5)

Dear sir/madam,

I am writing this in regards to my bag which i forget to take when i left from the taxi .

I am really stressed as i left my purse in the taxi . I booked the taxi and the number of the taxi was 2213 . It was black colour car and drivers name was John . I was in hurry as my child was at home alone and was crying so I forget to take my bag when I reached home from the taxi .

My purse is of leather its colour is brown and the brand name is Coach. It is a sling bag which contain all my essential things like my cards , my license and some makeup material .

I would really request you to help me in this situation . If you could please find my bag and please contact me on my phone number [redacted phone]. I will be really thankful to you .

I hope to hear from you soon .

Yours faithfully,

Anupreet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points: explaining how the bag was lost, describing the bag, and requesting assistance. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a manager. The ideas are relevant and clearly presented, ensuring the reader understands the situation immediately. The inclusion of specific details like the taxi number and the driver's name helps to fully develop the response. To reach a higher band, ensure that the opening and closing are consistently formal, as the current opening is slightly informal in its phrasing.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into distinct paragraphs, each serving a clear purpose. The progression of ideas is easy to follow, moving from the incident to the description and finally the request for help. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat limited and occasionally repetitive. For instance, the transition between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', or 'as a result') rather than relying on simple sentence structures. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the different requirements of the task.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey the necessary information clearly. There is some attempt to use specific vocabulary related to the context, such as 'essential things' and 'sling bag'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'left from the taxi' instead of 'left the taxi'. To improve, the writer should aim to incorporate more precise descriptive language and avoid repetitive phrasing to demonstrate a more flexible range of vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors, particularly with verb tenses (e.g., 'i forget' instead of 'I forgot') and capitalization (e.g., 'i' should be 'I'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are inconsistent spaces before commas. The errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on consistent tense usage and proofreading for basic mechanical errors would significantly enhance the quality of the writing.

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

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