Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-07-29

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 8.0)

Dear Lily,

Hello, how're you? I am grateful for your stay at my place during the time I was on vacation for a month.

Everything went pretty well on my trip, as I wasn't worried about the home because of your stay at the home. I genuinely appreciate that you took great care of the cleanliness of the house; however, upon returning, I discovered that one of the decorative items in the living area was broken. It was an elephant made of clay and was placed on the side tables near the sofa in the lobby.

This item has very emotional value for me as it was gifted to me by my best friend. She lived in Australia, and before her departure, she gave me this as a symbol of our friendship, as it was something that belonged to her ancestors. Whenever we chat on video call, I often show her that I took great care of her gift.

I'll feel embarrassed if she knows the truth about the damage to the elephant. I request that if you find any similar item in any exhibition or online, so I can show her. It'll be a great help in managing the situation.

I hope you understand and help me in this situation.

Take care,

Sandeep

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The letter successfully covers all three bullet points: the broken possession is described, its emotional significance is explained, and a clear request for assistance is made. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, maintaining a balance between being firm about the damage and remaining polite. The ideas are well-developed, particularly the sentimental value of the elephant. The response is fully on-topic and addresses the prompt requirements effectively, demonstrating a clear purpose throughout the letter.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a specific aspect of the prompt. The progression of ideas is smooth, moving from the initial pleasantries to the problem, the explanation, and finally the request. Cohesive devices such as 'however', 'as', and 'whenever' are used effectively to link sentences and ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different sections of the letter. The flow of information is natural and easy to follow, meeting the criteria for a well-structured piece of correspondence.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

The vocabulary is sufficient for the task and allows for clear communication. You use some descriptive language, such as 'decorative items' and 'symbol of our friendship'. While the range is adequate, it could be enhanced with more precise or sophisticated collocations to reach a higher band. For example, instead of 'emotional value', 'sentimental value' would be more natural. There are no significant spelling or word-choice errors that impede understanding, and the tone remains consistent throughout the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The letter displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are accurate, though there are occasional minor errors, such as 'I wasn't worried about the home because of your stay at the home' (repetitive) and 'I request that if you find any similar item... so I can show her' (the structure is slightly awkward). Despite these minor slips, the grammar does not impede communication. The use of punctuation is generally correct, and the overall control of sentence structure is good for this level.

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