Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-25

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 in regard to my handbag I forgot in one of your taxis I took from Baker's bus stop to my home in Daniel Street.

In all honesty, I was busy talking to my sister on the phone while all the journey but unknowing to me I did not realize I left my handbag at the back seat.

My bag has a brown handle with a red zipper by each side. It has a small purse inside which contain some cash and my credit card.

I would appreciate if the manager in charge could assist to look for the bag because my credit is very important to me. If found, Pls contact me on my phone which [redacted phone].

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: explaining the loss, describing the bag, and requesting assistance. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which negatively impacts the development of ideas. The explanation of how the bag was lost is brief, and the description of the bag lacks sufficient detail to be truly helpful to a taxi manager. To improve, you should expand on the circumstances of the journey and provide more specific details about the bag's appearance or contents to ensure the task is fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into short paragraphs, which is appropriate for a formal letter. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat mechanical. There is a lack of cohesive devices to link sentences smoothly; for example, the transition between the description of the bag and the request for help is abrupt. While the overall message is clear, the limited length prevents the use of more sophisticated linking words or a more natural flow. Using transition phrases like 'Furthermore' or 'Consequently' would help improve the logical flow between your points.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. Phrases like 'I was busy talking' and 'I did not realize' are functional but lack the precision expected at higher bands. There are also minor errors in word choice, such as 'forgot in' instead of 'left in' and 'at the back seat' instead of 'on the back seat'. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more precise vocabulary related to lost property, such as 'misplaced', 'belongings', or 'inadvertently'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are several grammatical inaccuracies. For instance, 'while all the journey' should be 'during the entire journey', and 'unknowing to me' is non-standard usage. Additionally, there are punctuation and phrasing issues, such as 'Pls' (which is too informal for a formal letter) and the awkward construction 'my credit is very important' (likely referring to a credit card). Improving your control over prepositions and avoiding abbreviations will significantly enhance your accuracy.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.