Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-16

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 and Madam,

I hope you are doing well. The reason of writing this letter is about my lost bag. I was traveling to my home with your company taxi, when I reach to my home, I suddenly realized my bad was in taxi. I rush towards taxi but it already gone. It was about evening time around 6-7 clock. My bag is a Gucci company bag with a brown color with black contrast. There is a little hole near zip area and also there is red color from bottom written never give up. This will help you finding my bag more easily and also with evidence. Inside my bag there is some medical document, phone charger and also air-buds. If you want any other information I will be available anytime.I will be very glad if you find my Gucci bag. Please inform me when you have any information about my bag.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points: explaining the loss, describing the bag, and requesting assistance. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter to a manager. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation of how the bag was lost is brief, and the request for help could be more formal and persuasive. While the task requirements are met, the response lacks the depth of detail that would elevate it to a higher band. The inclusion of specific details like the 'never give up' text is a good attempt at providing relevant information to help locate the item.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into a single block of text, which makes it difficult to follow the progression of ideas. IELTS letters should ideally be structured into clear paragraphs (e.g., introduction, body, and conclusion). There is a lack of cohesive devices to link sentences, making the flow feel somewhat mechanical. For example, the transition between describing the bag and listing its contents is abrupt. To improve, you should use linking words such as 'furthermore,' 'consequently,' or 'in addition' to connect your thoughts more effectively and ensure the letter is divided into logical paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely on basic descriptors like 'little hole' and 'brown color.' While the meaning is clear, there is little evidence of less common or more sophisticated vocabulary. There are also some minor errors in collocation, such as 'reason of writing' (should be 'reason for writing') and 'Gucci company bag' (which is slightly redundant). To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more descriptive adjectives and precise nouns to convey your message with greater sophistication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

There are several grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede the flow. Examples include 'The reason of writing,' 'when I reach to my home' (tense error), 'my bad was in taxi' (article/spelling error), and 'it already gone' (missing auxiliary verb). The sentence structures are mostly simple, with limited use of complex sentences. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors suggests a lack of control over basic grammatical structures. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles would significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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