Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-02

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'm writing in regard that I had left my bag in your taxi yesterday when I got back home I realized that I accidently left my bag.

Yesterday I took a taxi from Newroad to Balaju returning from work to home. I was in a hurry and there was a rainfall, I put my bag on the back seat of a taxi. Unfortunately, I'm unaware about the taxi number.

My bag is medium in size which is black in color. I have many important documents, debit and credit card, cheque, laptop, and other personal belongings.

I would like to request if you find my bag please contact me on [redacted phone] and please address your location from where I

can received the bag.

Please don't hesitate to contact me . I look forward to

hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Radhika

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

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 negatively impacts the task achievement score. The explanation of the loss is clear, and the description of the bag is sufficient. To improve, you should expand on the details of your journey or the contents of the bag to ensure you comfortably meet the length requirement. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, though the opening and closing could be more polished.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the narrative. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat limited and mechanical. For example, the transition between the explanation of the loss and the description of the bag is abrupt. Using more varied linking words such as 'consequently,' 'furthermore,' or 'in addition' would improve the flow. The referencing is generally clear, but the overall structure could benefit from more sophisticated transitions between the different sections of the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely on basic descriptors like 'medium in size' and 'black in color.' There are also some minor word-choice errors, such as 'address your location from where I can received the bag,' which should be 'inform me of the location where I can collect the bag.' To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more specific vocabulary related to lost property and formal correspondence.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

There are several grammatical errors that affect the fluency of the text. For instance, 'I'm writing in regard that I had left' is awkward; 'I am writing to report that I left' would be more accurate. There are also punctuation issues, such as the run-on sentence in the first paragraph ('...yesterday when I got back home I realized...'). While the meaning is generally clear, the frequent errors in sentence structure and verb tense consistency prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and sentence boundary punctuation.

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

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