Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-30

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 or Madam,

My name is Surbi and I had a ride in one of your taxis. Yesterday, I booked a taxi from your company Yellow cab to Victoria at 1pm. The reference number was 22XYZ. I forgot my bagpack in the taxi since I had a few more bags with me.

It was a Rebook black color bag and has my name written on it. It is kind a school bag. I have some important documents in that bag including some money. I had a flight ticket in the bag from Victoria to Winnipeg. I supposed to fly in next couple days.

I am requesting you to contact your driver and see if he still has my bag in the cab. I can come to your office located in Victoria to collect my bag.I am so stressed at this moment because I do not want to miss my flight to Winnipeg. I am waiting for your response.

Your Sincerely,

Surbi

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The candidate has successfully addressed all three bullet points required in the task instructions. The letter clearly explains how the bag was lost by providing the booking time, company name, and reference number '22XYZ'. The description of the bag is adequate, noting it is a black Reebok backpack with the owner's name on it, and mentions its contents such as documents and a flight ticket. Finally, the writer explicitly asks the manager to contact the driver and offers to collect the bag at the office. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint or request to a company manager. The response meets the task requirements effectively, earning a solid Band 7.0 for covering all parts well with clear supporting details.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter is logically organised into four distinct paragraphs, each serving a specific purpose: introduction and context of the journey, description of the lost item and its contents, the request for assistance and explanation of urgency, and a proper formal sign-off. Cohesion between sentences is generally clear, though referencing is slightly repetitive at times ('in that bag', 'in the bag'). Paragraphing is used appropriately and supports the overall structure of a formal correspondence. The progression of ideas is logical from stating the problem to describing the item and requesting action. This corresponds to Band 7.0 descriptors.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, with some attempts at less common lexical items such as 'reference number', 'stressed', and 'documents'. However, there are a few spelling and word choice inaccuracies, notably 'bagpack' instead of 'backpack', 'Rebook' instead of 'Reebok', and the phrase 'kind a school bag' which is too informal for a letter to a manager. While the range is sufficient to convey the message clearly, these minor lexical errors and colloquialisms prevent the score from reaching a higher band. Overall, the lexical resource demonstrates a Band 6.0 level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'Yesterday, I booked a taxi from your company Yellow cab to Victoria at 1pm' and 'I am requesting you to contact your driver and see if he still has my bag in the cab.' There are some grammatical errors, including 'I supposed to fly' (missing the auxiliary verb 'am') and punctuation issues in the final sentences. Despite these errors, communication is never impeded, and the majority of simple sentences are accurate. This fits comfortably within the Band 6.0 descriptors for grammatical range and accuracy.

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

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