Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-26

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,

I hope you are doing great! I am writing this letter to express my issue with my recent ride in a taxi of your company. Last night I booked that taxi through your online website.

Although, the driver was accommodating and safe to travel during the night, but after reaching home I realized that my laptop bag got left in the car. The car was of Honda SUV and in black colour. Unfortunately, tomorrow I am having meeting at work and really need that laptop.

To describe, laptop is of leather and visibly in brown colour. Moreover, there is a picture of cat on right corner of the bag as well.

I would like to request if you could help me to find this bag by evening. Once you find it you can email me back to arrange pick up for the same. Additionally, let me know if you need more information regarding my bag.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

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, although the opening 'I hope you are doing great!' is slightly informal for a business communication. The ideas are relevant, though the description of the bag could be more detailed to ensure the manager can identify it effectively. The purpose of the letter is clear, and the request for help is explicit. Overall, the response fulfills the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized into distinct paragraphs, each serving a specific purpose. The progression of ideas is clear, moving from the context of the ride to the description of the item and finally the request for action. Cohesive devices such as 'Although', 'Moreover', and 'Additionally' are used to link sentences, though some transitions are slightly mechanical. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure supports the reader's understanding of the situation. The use of referencing is generally clear, ensuring the reader understands the connection between the taxi ride and the lost item.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey the necessary information clearly. There are some minor issues with collocation and word choice, such as 'express my issue' (better: 'report a problem') and 'visibly in brown colour' (better: 'is brown'). The phrase 'accommodating and safe to travel' is slightly awkward. While the range is sufficient to communicate the message, it lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. The writer successfully uses specific descriptors like 'leather' and 'laptop bag', which are essential for the task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as the redundant use of 'Although' and 'but' in the same sentence ('Although, the driver was accommodating... but after reaching home...'). There are also minor errors in article usage ('a meeting' instead of 'a meeting') and prepositional phrases ('on right corner' should be 'in the right corner'). Despite these errors, the meaning remains clear throughout, and the mistakes do not impede communication. The writer demonstrates a basic control over sentence construction, though accuracy is inconsistent.

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

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