Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-18

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 6.0)

Dear Sir,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to express my concern regarding, i have forgot my bag in your taxi last night. Last night, I booked a taxi from Yorkdale Shopping Centre to my home at Crescent Villa, Which helps to find a taxi. I have a lot of shopping bags; I thought I kept them in one of my carrier bags. While I was trying to arrange my things, I realized that I had left my sack in the taxi. So my bag looks like a crossbody bag, which is blue in colour, and it has a badge with the initial A. I need to find it because it has my college ID and bus pass.

I remember the cab driver, and he did as well. I have his taxi number, which is GBH 998. Before I got in, I had a habit of clicking a picture of the license plate; now it's really beneficial for me. I would ask you to help to discover my waist bag that would be appreciated.

Regards,

Ayush

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter covers all three bullet points: explaining how the bag was lost, describing the bag, and requesting assistance. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter to a company manager. However, the development of ideas is slightly uneven. For instance, the explanation of how the bag was lost is a bit confusing due to the phrasing 'I have a lot of shopping bags; I thought I kept them in one of my carrier bags.' Despite this, the purpose of the letter is clear, and the reader understands the situation and the request for help.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into three distinct paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the narrative. There is a logical progression from the incident to the description and finally the request. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as the transition 'Which helps to find a taxi' which does not connect logically to the previous sentence. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the shift between referring to the item as a 'sack', 'crossbody bag', and 'waist bag'. Improving the use of linking words would enhance the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to describe the bag and the situation. There are some attempts at more specific vocabulary, such as 'crossbody bag' and 'license plate'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice, such as using 'sack' to describe a personal bag, which is not the most natural collocation in this context. Furthermore, the inconsistency in naming the item (crossbody vs. waist bag) suggests a need for more precise vocabulary control. The range is sufficient to communicate the message but lacks sophistication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'i have forgot my bag' (should be 'I forgot' or 'I have forgotten') and 'I would ask you to help to discover my waist bag that would be appreciated' (which is a run-on and slightly awkward). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas and capitalization after periods. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall clarity and professional tone of the letter.

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

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