Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-27

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/ Madam,

I am writing this letter to request you for helping me to find out my black bag the I have lost in one of your taxi.

Actually, I booked a taxi (taxi number: KBF467) from my house, to International business university, Toronto, by your mobile App but unfortunately, due to my examination I was in rush so left my tote Black Bag in the taxi.

Additionally, I would like to gave you a full description for your reference, It is a leather bag of Gucci brand in black color, having a golden gucci tag on the front side and total two pockets. Additionally, it contains my small wallet with my ID proofs.

I would really apprec

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 significantly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which negatively impacts the development of ideas. The letter also ends abruptly mid-sentence, indicating an incomplete response. To improve, you must ensure you meet the word count by expanding on your points—for example, by providing more specific details about the time of the journey or the contents of the bag—and ensure the letter reaches a natural, complete conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter uses basic paragraphing and some cohesive devices like 'Actually' and 'Additionally' to link ideas. However, the flow is interrupted by the incomplete ending. The progression of ideas is logical, moving from the incident to the description of the item, but the overall structure is weakened by the lack of a proper closing and the failure to complete the final paragraph. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph is fully developed before moving to the next.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for a formal letter, though there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'request you for helping me' is unnatural; a better phrasing would be 'request your assistance in finding'. The use of 'ID proofs' is also slightly non-standard in this context. While you attempt to use descriptive language for the bag, the range is somewhat limited. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise collocations and ensure that your phrasing sounds natural for a formal business communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

There are several grammatical errors that affect the clarity of the writing. Examples include 'the I have lost' (should be 'that I lost'), 'in one of your taxi' (should be 'taxis'), and 'I would like to gave you' (should be 'give'). The sentence structures are relatively simple, and the errors in verb tense and pluralization are noticeable. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and ensure that you use the base form of the verb after 'to' (e.g., 'to give'). Proofreading for basic grammatical slips will help improve your score significantly.

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

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