Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-16

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 am writing to about lost my bag in your taxi yesterday.

Firstly, I went in market yesterday. I rode in your taxi. I had gave your taxi rent then I went to home. When I reached home then I realised. I forgot my bag in your taxi.

Secondly, My bag size is normal like a hand bag . It's colour is black. Some documents and money in my bag like I'd card, passport, mobile phone, and jewellery in my bag. I am worried about it. Because important page and documents in my hand carry. This documents is soo important.

Finally, I request you according my bag you search it everywhere asked others transport drivers. I sent to you my hand carry picture then you show this photo to another drivers. When you search my bag and tell me then I am very thankful to you because I am worried about it. If my bag not meet me then I lost my all specific documents.

You're faithfully

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three required points: you explain that you left the bag in the taxi after getting home, describe its colour and contents, and ask the manager to help locate it. The details about the passport, phone, money and jewellery make the loss sound important. However, some information is unclear or not fully developed: “I went in market” does not explain the journey clearly, and the request to “search it everywhere” and ask other drivers could be made more specific. You could also state how the company can contact you or offer a clear way to identify the taxi, such as the time of the ride. This would make the purpose and requested action more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter has a recognisable sequence, moving from the journey and discovery of the loss to the bag’s description and your request. The signposting words “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “Finally” help the reader follow these stages. However, the progression is sometimes mechanical, and several ideas are joined in ways that make their relationship unclear, such as “When I reached home then I realised.” The description and the explanation of why the documents matter also repeat information. Use separate, focused paragraphs for the incident, the bag’s identifying details, and your request, and connect ideas with more natural transitions. Clearer referencing would also help the reader understand what “this documents” refers to.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant vocabulary to identify the belongings, including “passport,” “mobile phone,” “jewellery,” and “documents,” and you communicate that the loss is worrying. However, the range is limited and some word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which can make the message difficult to interpret. For example, “bag size is normal like a hand bag” is imprecise, while “I had gave your taxi rent” does not express the fare naturally. “Important page” is also unclear in this context. Choose precise terms for the bag’s size and distinctive features, and use standard expressions such as “pay the fare” and “personal documents.” Check spelling and word forms, including “realised” and “handbag,” to make the letter clearer and more professional.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences, and the reader can generally understand the main events. However, control of verb forms, sentence construction, articles and agreement is inconsistent. Examples include “I am writing to about lost my bag,” “I had gave,” and “When I reached home then I realised,” where the sentence patterns or verb forms are not correctly formed. There are also errors in “This documents is” and “If my bag not meet me.” Practise building accurate past-tense sentences for the journey and discovery, and use a clear conditional structure for the possible outcome. More reliable sentence boundaries and punctuation would also make your meaning easier to follow.

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

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