Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-31

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 6.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writting a letter to you to inform that I had lost my bag in your taxi yesterday. Actually I had a job interview yesterday, because of that i was very nervous about my interview like how it will go. While thinking all of that i forgot my bag in the taxi. I have all my important documents such as my ID's and other certificates was in that bag. It was a black leather tote bag of coach.

I would really thankful to manager of the taxi company if he or she can help me to get my bag back. Also to get bag as soon as possible i have attached photographs of my bag.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully

Harjot Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address all three points: you explain that you forgot the bag while distracted by thoughts about a job interview, identify it as a black leather Coach tote, and ask the manager to help recover it. The mention of important documents and attached photographs adds useful context. However, the request could be more specific—for example, ask the company to check the taxi or contact the driver, and provide a way to reach you. The description is also brief, and the reason for forgetting the bag could be explained more clearly. The response is 12 words below the required minimum, so it needs a little more development to meet the task fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter follows a sensible order: it explains the incident, describes the bag and its contents, then makes a request and closes politely. This gives the reader a coherent overall account. Some links between ideas are less smooth, however. For instance, “Actually” and “because of that” make the explanation sound conversational, and the shift from the interview to the lost bag could be connected more clearly. The request and the photograph detail are also compressed into one sentence, making their relationship slightly unclear. Use separate paragraphs for the incident, the bag’s description, and the requested action, with clear references such as “the bag” or “it” to guide the reader.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for this letter and includes relevant details such as “job interview,” “important documents,” “black leather tote bag,” and “photographs.” These choices make the situation understandable. There are some inaccurate or informal expressions that limit precision and naturalness: “inform that” is not the usual phrasing, “get my bag back” is less formal than the context calls for, and “of coach” does not clearly express the brand. Spelling also needs attention in “writting.” Aim for more precise formal phrases and check spelling and capitalization, especially for names and brands. A slightly wider range of vocabulary for describing the bag and requesting assistance would make the letter more effective.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including the explanation beginning “because of that” and the request using “if.” The main message remains clear, but some grammatical errors occur. For example, “I would really thankful” is missing “be,” and “my ID's and other certificates was” has a subject–verb agreement problem; the plural items require a plural verb. The sentence beginning “I am writting a letter” also uses an awkward tense for a letter about an event that has already happened. Capitalisation of “i” and punctuation around the opening explanation need attention. Practise accurate conditional requests and check each sentence for a complete verb and agreement between subject and verb.

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

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