Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-14

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 well. I am writing you because I left my bag in your taxi, yesterday.

Actually, I booked your taxi from Edmonton to Calgary for the time of 9 a.m. As there was my exam of French yesterday, the main reason is : I am a bit nervous and I forgot my bag there. My bag is of black colour, but with blue zip. Moreover, there is a scratch on the left side of it. In addition to this, there is a water bottle on the side pocket of the bag. Furthermore, I kept some books, lunch box and credit card of bank in it.

I will really appreciate your help if you let me know about it. If you can check your taxi, it will be more benefical. I hope you will try to find my bag.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Veerpal

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all three bullet points from the prompt effectively. You clearly explain how the bag was lost by mentioning your journey from Edmonton to Calgary and feeling nervous about your French exam. You also provide a good description of the bag, noting its black colour, blue zip, a scratch on the left side, a water bottle in the side pocket, and the contents inside. Finally, you appropriately ask the manager for help to find it and check the taxi. All parts of the task are addressed directly and adequately, demonstrating a clear communicative purpose suitable for a General Training Task 1 letter. Therefore, this performance meets the criteria for Band 6.5, leaning towards Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall arrangement and follows a logical progression from stating the purpose of the letter, explaining the situation, describing the item, to requesting assistance. Paragraphing is used appropriately, separating the opening, the body details, the call to action, and the closing. Cohesive devices are generally handled well, such as using 'Moreover', 'In addition to this', and 'Furthermore' to introduce details about the bag. However, some referencing and transitions feel a bit mechanical or forced, such as 'As there was my exam of French yesterday, the main reason is : I am a bit nervous'. Despite these minor awkward connections, the overall organisation is coherent and easy to follow, aligning well with a Band 6.5 or 7 descriptor.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common phrases such as 'appreciate your help' and 'beneficial'. However, there are some awkward lexical choices and phrasing, such as 'there was my exam of French' instead of 'I had a French exam', and 'credit card of bank' instead of 'bank credit card'. Spelling is generally accurate, though word choice occasionally lacks precision. The vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey your message clearly without impeding the reader's understanding, fitting the Band 6.0 standard.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'I booked your taxi from Edmonton to Calgary for the time of 9 a.m.' and 'I will really appreciate your help if you let me know about it.' There are some grammatical errors and awkward punctuation, such as the colon placement in 'the main reason is : I am a bit nervous' and tense inconsistency ('was my exam... I am a bit nervous'). However, these errors are relatively minor and do not impede communication. The majority of your sentences are clear, earning a solid Band 6.0.

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

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