Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-09

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,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to inform you that I have forgot my work bag in one of your taxi that I rode yesterday, would really appreciate your help to locate my bag.

On 7th of october I booked taxi from your online application and within 5 minutes the taxi came to pick me up. I was in important meeting during the ride and my mobile battery was about to die, so I opened my laptop bag and took my laptop out of the bag to continue with my meeting. Since the meeting was of high priority my full attention was in the discussion. After reaching my desired location I was rushing to my house because, I was facing severe network problems and by the time I realize that I forgot my bag in cab, the taxi driver was already on his second ride.

My bag was black in colour with two side pockets and also had yellow coloured keychains on the bag. I would really appreciate if you can help me find the bag. The taxi number was 07129 and it was yellow coloured, also my pickup time was 07:00 pm and drop-off time was 07:23.

I would really appreciate your assistance in this matter.

Sincerely,

Kanil

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The letter clearly fulfils all three instructions: it explains how the bag was left behind, describes its appearance, and asks the manager to help locate it. The account is supported with useful identifying details, including the taxi number, colour, journey times, and the yellow keychains. The explanation of the loss is also developed through the meeting, low phone battery, and rush home. This gives the reader a clear picture of what happened and what action is requested. To make the response more complete and precise, specify how the company can contact you and ask it to check with the driver or contact you if the bag is found. The purpose and tone remain clear throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The information is arranged in a sensible sequence: the opening states the purpose, the next paragraph explains the journey and loss, and the following paragraph describes the bag and provides taxi details. This makes the letter easy to follow overall. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear. The opening sentence joins the purpose and request with a comma, while the long account of the journey contains several events in one sentence, making the progression harder to track. The repeated phrase “I would really appreciate” in the opening and closing also makes the ending feel repetitive. Use clearer sentence boundaries and a more direct final request; these changes would make the organisation and cohesion more consistently smooth.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the situation, including “high priority,” “severe network problems,” “side pockets,” and “locate,” which help explain the circumstances and identify the bag. The description is specific enough to be useful. Some choices, however, are imprecise or unnatural, such as “forgot my work bag” where “left my work bag behind” is more suitable, and “booked taxi from your online application” where “booked a taxi through your app” is more idiomatic. “My full attention was in the discussion” is also an awkward collocation. Aim for natural, precise phrases rather than adding complexity; this would improve flexibility and control while preserving the clear meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response includes both simple and complex sentence forms, particularly in the explanation of how the meeting and rush home led to the bag being left behind. Meaning remains clear despite some grammatical errors. For example, “I have forgot” should be “I have forgotten,” and “one of your taxi” needs the plural form “taxis.” The opening also joins two independent ideas with a comma, and “because, I was facing” has unnecessary punctuation. In “by the time I realize,” the past-tense sequence calls for “realised.” Review verb forms, articles, agreement, and sentence boundaries, especially in longer sentences. More consistent accuracy in these areas would strengthen the control of the varied structures already attempted.

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

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