Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-11

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 5.0)

Dear Sir/ Madam,

I am Gurpreet Kaur resident of calgary canada . Curently i am living at castlefall way NE . I am writing to inform you formally about my lost bag in a taxi.

on 15 july i was heading to my relative's home in a taxi. when i was getting off from the taxi i got call from my friend while talking with my friend i pay to taxi driver and left my bag in taxi.

i can explain my bag it was brown in colour made of pure leather .My bag contains all my important documents and my personal things.

I am requesting to you please contact with that taxi driver so , i can get my bag .

I am looking forward to hear from you.

Your's Faithfully

Gurpreet Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: explaining the loss, describing the bag, and requesting assistance. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum, which negatively impacts the development of ideas. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, but the lack of detail regarding the taxi (e.g., time, route, or taxi number) makes the request for help less effective. To improve, you should expand on the circumstances of the journey and provide more specific details about the bag's contents to aid in its recovery.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into short paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the narrative. However, the use of cohesive devices is very limited. Transitions between sentences are often abrupt, such as the jump from describing the bag to requesting help. The letter lacks a logical flow, and the connection between ideas is mechanical. To achieve a higher band, you should use a wider range of linking words and phrases (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in addition to this') to create a smoother progression of information.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'I can explain my bag' and 'my personal things' are simplistic and lack the precision required for a formal complaint or request. There are also issues with word choice, such as 'I pay to taxi driver' instead of 'I paid the taxi driver'. To improve, you should aim to use more specific descriptive adjectives and formal business terminology. Expanding your vocabulary will help you convey your situation more clearly and professionally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including missing articles ('in taxi'), incorrect verb tenses ('I pay'), and punctuation issues (e.g., 'Your's Faithfully'). The sentence structures are mostly simple, with very few attempts at complex sentences. The lack of proper capitalization and consistent subject-verb agreement significantly hinders the quality of the writing. Focusing on basic sentence construction, correct tense usage, and standard punctuation will help improve your accuracy and clarity.

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

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