Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-20

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 5.0)

Dear Sir,

I am writing to report the loss of my bag, which i accidentally left in one if your taxis yesterday. I would be grateful if you could assist me in locating it as soon as possible.

Yesterday evening, I hired a taxi from downtown to return home after finishing some shopping. i was carrying my bag with me and placed it on the back seat.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

You establish the purpose clearly by reporting that you left your bag in a taxi and asking the manager to help locate it. You also begin to explain how this happened, mentioning the journey from downtown and placing the bag on the back seat. However, the letter stops before explaining that you forgot to take it when you got out, and it does not describe the bag at all. The request for help is also not developed with useful details, such as the journey time, destination, or contact information. The response is substantially below the required 150 words, so the task is only minimally addressed. Complete all three bullet points and provide enough specific information for the company to act.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The ideas are presented in a sensible order: you state the purpose first, then begin describing the taxi journey. The paragraph break also helps distinguish the opening request from the account of what happened. However, the response ends abruptly after “placed it on the back seat,” so there is no clear progression to the moment you discovered the loss, a description of the bag, or a closing request. The link between the journey and the loss therefore remains incomplete. To improve the overall flow, organise the letter into clear stages—purpose, journey and discovery, bag description, and requested action—and use simple links such as “When I arrived home” and “The bag is…”.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use several appropriate expressions for a formal complaint or request, including “report the loss,” “assist me in locating it,” and “hired a taxi.” These choices make the purpose understandable and show some range beyond very basic vocabulary. However, the short response offers little opportunity to demonstrate flexibility, and some wording is imprecise: “one if your taxis” appears to mean “one of your taxis,” while “carrying my bag with me” is repetitive in this context. Add precise details about the bag’s colour, size, material, and contents, and use clear language for the circumstances of the loss. Proofread spelling and choose concise, natural collocations to make the letter more effective.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response includes a mix of sentence forms, such as the complex opening clause “which i accidentally left…” and the time phrase “after finishing some shopping.” Most of the meaning is still clear, and the past-tense account is generally understandable. However, the range is limited, and there are noticeable accuracy issues: the pronoun “i” should be capitalised in both instances, and “one if your taxis” disrupts the sentence structure (the intended phrase is “one of your taxis”). The account also needs a complete sentence explaining when you realised the bag was missing. Use a wider mix of accurate past-tense sentences and check capitalisation, prepositions, and sentence completeness before submitting.

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

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