Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-22

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 Manager,

I am writing this letter to informs you that I lost my bag in your taxi yesterday on 29th july 7:30 pm. I was went from surrey central to guilford area returning from my friend birthday party. When I reached at home, I realized that I had left bag in the taxi.

However, my bag is a stylish brown leather bag with two sturdy top handles. It has two big pockets on the top with golden and white slings . The slings are made up of metal, It's a rod like structure. Other side there is a beautiful red coloured ring chain made up of wood.

I requested you to please helped me to find my bag. I have my all the documents in the bag, for instance- Identity card, ATM Card, driving license etc. I shall be very thankful to you for this.

Yours sincerely,

sana

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all three bullet points required in the prompt. You successfully explained how you lost the bag, describing the taxi ride from Surrey Central to Guilford on July 29th at 7:30 pm. You also provided a detailed description of the bag, mentioning its brown leather material, handles, and pockets, and asked the manager for help in locating it along with the important documents inside. However, there is a penalty to consider because the word count is 149 words, which falls just short of the 150-word minimum requirement. Consequently, Task Achievement is impacted by this length constraint. To achieve a higher band, always ensure you comfortably exceed the minimum word count and expand slightly more on your closing request for assistance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter follows a clear formal letter structure starting with an appropriate salutation and ending with a sign-off. Paragraphing is used to separate the introduction of the problem, the description of the bag, and the call to action, which helps the reader follow the flow of information. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical, as seen with the transition word 'However,' which is misused at the beginning of the second paragraph where contrast is not actually required. Referencing is generally clear, but the logical progression between sentences occasionally feels abrupt due to grammatical slips. To improve, ensure that cohesive devices are used logically to connect your thoughts rather than just acting as fillers.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms such as 'stylish,' 'sturdy,' and 'documents.' However, there are noticeable word choice and morphological errors, such as writing 'informs' instead of 'inform' after 'to,' 'went' instead of 'travelled' or 'was going,' and 'left bag' instead of 'left my bag.' There are also awkward phrasings like 'red coloured ring chain made up of wood.' While these lexical slips do not completely impede communication, they restrict the lexical score to a Band 6.0. Using more precise collocations and checking word forms will help elevate your score in future writing tasks.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response includes a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some variety in structure. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter. Examples include 'to informs you,' 'I was went,' 'When I reached at home' (unnecessary preposition), 'I requested you to please helped me' (incorrect verb form after 'to'), and 'I have my all the documents.' These errors in verb tenses, infinitives, and prepositions indicate limited grammatical control in complex structures. While the meaning remains mostly clear to the reader, the density of errors prevents the grammar score from reaching a Band 6.0. Focus on reviewing basic verb patterns and avoiding double marking of past tenses.

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

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