Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-14

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 5.5)

Dear Sir/Ma,

I am writing this letter to inform you that I rode in one of your taxies yesterday, to be précised 22nd of December 2026. And when I got home it found out that I did not carry my handbag with me. I left it at the back sit because I was sited there.

In all honesty, I was to be blamed because I was busy talking on phone with my husband over an issue. I was so engrossed with the call that I told the driver the bag was not my own when he asked me to take my bag.

The bag is a black and white in color. It has a red tag directly on the zipper. It has a red handle, actually it is a tiny ne.

I would like know if the manager has help me find it.

Thanks as await your response

Your

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter covers all three bullet points: explaining how the bag was lost, describing the bag, and requesting assistance. However, the response is slightly under the 150-word minimum, which impacts the overall task completion. While the ideas are relevant, the development is somewhat limited. The explanation of the loss is clear, but the description of the bag is quite brief. To improve, you should expand on the details of the bag (e.g., its size, material, or contents) and ensure the letter meets the length requirement to fully develop your ideas and demonstrate a more comprehensive response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the narrative. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and limited. For example, the transition between the explanation of the loss and the description of the bag is abrupt. There are also some issues with referencing, such as the unclear pronoun usage in 'it found out'. To improve, try using a wider variety of linking words and phrases (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in addition') to connect your sentences and ideas more fluidly, ensuring that the progression of information feels natural and cohesive throughout the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is quite basic and contains several errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'taxies' instead of 'taxis', 'précised' instead of 'precise', and 'ne' instead of 'one'. The phrasing 'I was to be blamed' is slightly unnatural; 'I am to blame' or 'it was my fault' would be more appropriate. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use a more varied range of vocabulary and ensure that your word choices are precise and correctly spelled. Focus on learning common collocations related to travel and lost property.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The letter uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'I rode in one of your taxies... to be précised 22nd of December', 'it found out that I did not carry', and 'back sit' instead of 'back seat'. Additionally, there are issues with verb tense consistency and preposition usage. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and proofreading for common errors like incorrect word forms. Increasing your control over complex sentence structures while minimizing these recurring errors will significantly improve your score.

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

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