Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-07

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You have rented a house by a lake for the summer.

Write a letter to a friend. In your letter
• describe the house.
• describe how you are spending your time there.
• invite your friend to come and visit.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ____

Student answer (Band 6.0)

Dear Ify,

How was your exams you told me about,the last we met at the park? I hope it went successfully.I want to let you know about an apartment i rented by a lake for the summer.This house was rented on september 9 2025.

The house is three story building which is painted with brown color outside while the inside was painted milk.It has a big balcony, toilet and bathroom.It is located opposite Anglican Secondary School Onitsha.It was adjacent to a catholic church.

I am going to spend my leave in the apartment which last for two months to enable me prepare for my ielts and Nclex exams which will be coming up on 25th of November 2026 because staying with my family will bring distractions.

I am inviting you to come and visit me at your own convenient time.

looking forward to seeing you.

Best wishes,

Amy.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points: describing the house, explaining how you are spending your time, and inviting your friend. However, the response is slightly under the 150-word minimum, which impacts the overall task completion. The description of the house is functional but lacks descriptive depth. While the purpose of your stay is clear, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. To improve, ensure you expand on your descriptions—for example, by mentioning the view from the balcony or the specific activities you enjoy in the area—to ensure the response comfortably exceeds the minimum word count and provides a more engaging tone.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite basic. Transitions between sentences are often missing or repetitive, making the flow feel somewhat mechanical. For instance, the transition between the house description and the reason for your stay could be smoother. To reach a higher band, try to use a wider variety of linking words and phrases (e.g., 'furthermore,' 'consequently,' 'in addition to this') to connect your ideas more naturally and improve the overall progression of the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for a general letter but remains quite simple and repetitive. Phrases like 'three story building' and 'painted with brown color' are functional but lack the descriptive flair expected at higher levels. There are also some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'at your own convenient time' (should be 'at your convenience'). To improve, focus on using more precise adjectives and idiomatic expressions suitable for an informal letter to a friend, which will help make your writing more natural and engaging.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The letter contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. However, there are several grammatical errors, including punctuation issues (e.g., 'How was your exams you told me about,the last we met'), subject-verb agreement errors ('the apartment which last for two months'), and capitalization errors ('september', 'ielts', 'Nclex'). These errors are frequent enough to be noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding the message. To improve, pay closer attention to basic grammar rules, particularly verb tenses and proper noun capitalization, and try to incorporate a wider variety of complex sentence structures.

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

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