Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-11-11

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You let a friend stay at your apartment while you were away on a trip. When you returned home, you discovered that a valuable possession was broken.

Write a letter to your friend. In your letter
• describe the broken possession.
• explain why it is important to you.
• explain what you would like your friend to do.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear _________,

Student answer (Band 7.0)

Dear Sree,

How have you been? I am writing to tell you about my watch which had been found broken during your stay in my house when I was away on my trip.

I am talking about my limited edition rolex watch with a small diamond in its dial. On top of that, it had my name printed inside on a sliver plating. It is way more important than anything for me because it was gifted by my mother on my twenty-sixth birthday. As you know, she's no more in this world and this is her only memory that stays with me.

I found it really frustrating that you didn't tell me about this when we met last week. I was so sad while I saw it first not because of the fact that it is very expensive, but emotionally connected to me. However, it can be fixed because it has an insurance coverage and I want you to take it to the repairing shop, fix it and then return to me. I hope you will understand my feelings on this. Take good care.

Best regards

Gokul

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

You address all three requested points clearly: the watch is described as a limited-edition Rolex with a diamond and engraved name, its sentimental value is explained through your mother’s gift, and you ask your friend to arrange a repair and return it. The emotional explanation is particularly effective and gives the letter a clear purpose. You also maintain an appropriate personal tone. To make the response more fully developed, clarify how the watch was damaged or what you expect your friend to do about the repair costs, rather than relying mainly on the insurance detail. The request is understandable, but a little more precision would strengthen this otherwise complete response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter has a clear progression: you introduce the problem, describe the watch and its significance, then explain your reaction and make a request. Paragraphing supports this sequence, and links such as “On top of that,” “However,” and “because” help connect details. The opening and closing also suit a personal letter. Some transitions feel slightly abrupt: “I found it really frustrating” moves quickly from the watch’s importance to your friend’s failure to mention the damage, and “However” does not clearly contrast with the preceding idea. Use more precise links or briefly explain the connection between these points. Overall, the organisation is easy to follow, though cohesion is not consistently smooth.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of vocabulary to describe both the object and your feelings, including “limited edition,” “diamond,” “gifted,” “emotionally connected,” and “insurance coverage.” These choices communicate the main ideas, and the personal tone is generally appropriate. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “found broken,” “sliver plating,” “more important than anything,” and “take it to the repairing shop.” These do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision and naturalness. Aim to learn common combinations for damage and repair, and choose more exact expressions for sentimental value. More consistent control of these phrases would make the vocabulary more flexible and polished.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex forms, including the relative clause in “which had been found broken” and the reason clause explaining the watch’s importance. Most sentences remain understandable, and the message is not disrupted by grammatical errors. However, some forms are awkward or inaccurate: “which had been found broken during your stay” does not clearly express when you discovered the damage, and “I was so sad while I saw it first” uses an unsuitable time construction. The request sentence also combines several actions without clear parallel structure: “take it …, fix it and then return to me.” Practise accurate tense choices and clause construction, and separate complex requests into clearer sentences.

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

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