Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-29

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 a citizen of Cox's Bazar. Yesterday I got home from work by your company taxi but sadly I have left my bag on the taxi and got to the home without it .The taxi driver was kind and an old man who wears panjabi , and the taxi color is yellow also has a meeter inside it . It was my college bag and it's fully black, also it has some college books and notebooks in it. My smartphone is also inside it along with many of my important documents like my admit card, student id , class notes, and some money.

I pray and hope that you would be kind enough to give an attention to this matter and search for my bag on your taxis . It would be a great help if you do so , Thank you .

Anwar Sadek

phone: [redacted phone]

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The student has successfully addressed all three bullet points required in the task instructions. The letter explains how the bag was lost by stating, 'Yesterday I got home from work by your company taxi but sadly I have left my bag on the taxi.' It also provides a clear description of the bag, mentioning that 'it's fully black' and contains college books, a smartphone, and important documents. Furthermore, the writer clearly asks the manager for assistance by stating, 'It would be a great help if you do so.' The tone is appropriately formal for a complaint and inquiry letter to a business manager. The prompt requirements are fully met with adequate elaboration on each point, fitting a solid Band 6.5 or 7.0 profile for task fulfillment.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter maintains a coherent overall arrangement with a clear beginning and ending. The greeting 'Dear Sir' and sign-off with contact details are appropriate for a business correspondence. However, paragraphing is poorly managed, as the entire body of the letter is compressed into a single dense block of text, which detracts from logical progression. Cohesive devices are somewhat repetitive and basic, relying heavily on connectors like 'and', 'also', and 'but'. Referencing is generally clear, but the lack of paragraph breaks limits the overall cohesion and visual organisation of the letter, placing it firmly at a Band 5.5 to 6.0 level.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to successfully convey personal details and describe the lost items. The student attempts some less common vocabulary such as 'panjabi' (a traditional outfit) and specific documents like 'admit card' and 'student id'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as 'got to the home' instead of 'got home', 'on the taxi' instead of 'in the taxi', and 'give an attention' instead of 'pay attention'. Spelling is generally acceptable, but overall the lexical range is somewhat limited and repetitive, reflecting a standard Band 6.0 performance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as the relative clause 'who wears panjabi' and the coordinating clauses joined by conjunctions. However, there are frequent grammatical errors in punctuation, article usage, and prepositions. Examples include spacing errors before punctuation marks (e.g., 'bag ...'), incorrect prepositions ('on the taxi' instead of 'in the taxi'), and missing articles. While these errors do not impede overall communication—the reader can easily understand the situation—they occur frequently enough to prevent the grammar score from reaching a higher band. Control is consistent with a Band 5.5 to 6.0.

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

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