Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Dear sir,

I am writing this letter regarding my bag which i lost yesterday in one of your taxi. It was late night yesterday when i was coming from my friend's house. I wanted to take a bus but he booked the cab for me. when i got off the car i forgot the bag.

its a Nike's laptop bag. the color of the bag is navy blue and has a big Nike logo on top. it says my name "parker" on top of the logo which i draw with a blue marker.

I would like like you to find it for me. its just not only a bag, my laptop is still in the bag which carries my important files. Whenever you get any update please contact me. i would be forever thankful.

yours faithfully

peter parker

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: explaining the loss, describing the bag, and requesting assistance. However, the response is under the 150-word minimum, which limits the development of ideas. The explanation of how the bag was lost is brief, and the request for help could be more formal and detailed. To improve, you should expand on the circumstances of the journey, such as providing the taxi's license plate number, the time of the ride, and the route taken. This would help the manager identify the specific driver and vehicle, thereby fully addressing the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the narrative. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite limited. Transitions between sentences are often abrupt, and the flow is somewhat mechanical. For instance, the transition between describing the bag and the request for help is sudden. Using a wider range of linking words and phrases (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in addition to this') would improve the logical flow and make the letter feel more cohesive and professional.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely on basic terms like 'big' and 'lost'. There are also some minor errors in word choice and phrasing, such as 'i draw with a blue marker' (should be 'drawn') and 'its just not only a bag'. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more precise vocabulary related to lost property, such as 'misplaced', 'distinctive features', or 'urgent assistance'. Additionally, ensure consistent use of formal register throughout the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with capitalization ('i', 'sir'), subject-verb agreement, and punctuation. For example, 'one of your taxi' should be 'one of your taxis', and 'its' is used incorrectly instead of 'it is' or 'it's'. The sentence structures are mostly simple, with limited attempts at complex sentences. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic errors and try to incorporate a wider variety of sentence structures, such as using relative clauses or conditional sentences to explain the situation more clearly.

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

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