Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-12

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 to enquire about a lost bag while travelling from to Airport last night.

To begin with, I had booked a cab from your call center to Airport and forgot to collect my bag from the trunk. This is because, I was running late for the flight as I have received few calls from the Airline that the boarding has been started.

Furthermore, it is a bag pack, blue in color and consist of my work laptop and some essentials. Belongings in the the bag are really important to me which has all my work data in there. As a result I was unable to attend the meeting i was flying for.

I would like to request if you can investigate to locate my bag. I would be grateful if you can help me.

Thank you for your time and effort. I look forward for your prompt response.

Yours faithfully,

Atul

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You explained how the bag was lost, provided a description of the bag, and included a clear request for 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. To improve, you could provide more specific details about the taxi ride, such as the time of day or the taxi number, to help the manager locate the vehicle more efficiently. Overall, the task requirements are fully met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Furthermore', and 'As a result' to connect your ideas. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different stages of your request. To reach a higher band, ensure that your referencing is precise; for example, in the second paragraph, 'This is because, I was...' contains a comma splice and slightly awkward phrasing that disrupts the flow of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'enquire', 'investigate', and 'prompt response'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For instance, you use 'bag pack' instead of the more standard 'backpack' or 'rucksack'. Additionally, the phrase 'boarding has been started' is slightly unnatural; 'boarding had commenced' would be more precise. While these errors do not impede communication, expanding your range of collocations and ensuring accurate word forms would help you achieve a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical slips, such as 'I am writing to enquire about a lost bag while travelling from to Airport' (missing the article 'the' and a location name). You also have punctuation errors, such as the unnecessary comma after 'because' and the repetition of 'the' in 'in the the bag'. While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding your message. To improve, focus on proofreading for articles, subject-verb agreement, and consistent verb tenses.

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

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