Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-07-31

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 6.5)

Dear Nia

I hope you are doing well. I am very grateful that you found a place to live.

While I was going through my house I found my pen stand was broken. However, I am usually not very concerned about product displayed at my home but this pen stand was extremely valuable for me in terms of emotion. This valuable possession was gifted me on my 18th birthday whereas, it was not only expensive but the only memorable product given by my late cousin who passed last year.

As you were living in my house from last few weeks so I assume you might have done this. But I completely believe it was a mistake nothing was done to hurt my feelings. Moreover, I would really appreciate if you repair it for me. Whereas, also contribute to the repair cost.

I would appreciate if you help me repairing it. I hope you understand.

Warm regards

Anmol

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: the broken possession is described, its emotional significance is explained, and a request for action is made. However, the tone is slightly inconsistent. While you successfully explain the emotional value of the pen stand, the request for your friend to 'contribute to the repair cost' after suggesting they broke it feels a bit abrupt and lacks the necessary tact for a letter to a friend. To improve, ensure the tone remains consistently friendly and polite throughout, especially when addressing a sensitive issue like property damage. The ideas are relevant, but the development could be more nuanced to better reflect the relationship between the writer and the friend.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your message. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'However,' 'Moreover,' and 'Whereas,' to link ideas. However, some of these transitions are used incorrectly or sound unnatural. For example, starting a sentence with 'Whereas' to introduce a request is grammatically incorrect and disrupts the flow. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear; the phrase 'nothing was done to hurt my feelings' is a bit ambiguous in this context. Improving the variety and accuracy of your linking words will help your writing sound more natural and cohesive.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message, such as 'valuable possession,' 'memorable,' and 'concerned.' However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors. For example, 'product displayed at my home' is unnatural; 'items in my home' would be better. 'Gifted me' should be 'gifted to me' or 'given to me.' The phrase 'late cousin who passed last year' is slightly redundant. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing. Expanding your vocabulary to include more natural expressions for personal correspondence will be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include missing articles ('found my pen stand'), incorrect verb forms ('gifted me' instead of 'was gifted to me'), and punctuation errors. The sentence 'As you were living in my house from last few weeks so I assume...' contains a redundant 'so' and incorrect preposition usage ('for the last few weeks'). To improve, pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions. Increasing the accuracy of your complex sentences will significantly enhance your overall score.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.