Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-24

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 or Madam,

I am writing this letter to inform you that I have left my bag in the taxi while coming home yesterday.

I booked taxi at 6.30 pm after my office was over . Taxi arrived in 15 minutes. I sat in taxi which was Swift desire and the number of taxi was MH[redacted phone]. I got a call from my manager . So i was busy discussing some issue of my work with my manager. In sometime I reached home . As i was busy on my call i forgot to get my bag which was in taxi.

Now I want to give you details of my bag. My bag was blue in color . It was of Zouk brand. It had yellow flowers painting on it . It was laptop bag quite big in size.

I am requesting to get my bag as early as possible as i am having many important documents like cards, office files and some money in that bag. If you could find and get me my bag it will be great .Hope to get reply soon from you.

Yours Thankfully

Seema

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points: explaining the loss, describing the bag, and requesting assistance. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint or inquiry. The ideas are relevant and clearly presented, covering the necessary details such as the taxi number and the contents of the bag. The response is well-structured and fulfills the requirements of the task effectively. To reach a higher band, you could provide more specific details about the time or location of the drop-off to help the manager locate the vehicle more easily.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, with each focusing on a specific aspect of the prompt. There is a clear progression of ideas from the incident to the description and finally the request. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat limited and occasionally mechanical. For example, sentences like 'Now I want to give you details' are a bit abrupt. Using more varied linking words or transition phrases (e.g., 'Furthermore', 'Consequently', 'In addition') would improve the flow and make the connections between sentences more natural and sophisticated.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. You successfully used specific terms like 'laptop bag' and 'documents'. However, there are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'office was over' (better: 'finished work') and 'get my bag' (better: 'retrieve my bag'). The vocabulary is generally functional but lacks the variety and precision required for a higher band. Incorporating more precise adjectives and formal verbs would enhance the quality of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('I sat in taxi', 'in that bag'), incorrect preposition usage, and punctuation issues (e.g., 'So i was busy'). The capitalization of 'i' is inconsistent throughout the text. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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