Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-03

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 5.5)

Dear Amrit,

How are you? In this letter i want to that as you stay in home when i was on a trip with my fiancé but when i reach my my apartment so i take a look to everything, and everything looked good except family photo.

The glass of photo is broken and as you know this is very important for me because it was my last photo with my parents and they are not more now and even i don't like that someone touch this photo. you leave the apartment without telling me anything about this. that time i feel very angry but then i realize that you may be feel afraid at that time.

so i would request you please try to repair this picture frame for me because i know you broke it and you are afraid to tell me about this please repair it as soon as possible because it's very important for me. and see you soon.

yours lovingly,

komal

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all three bullet points: describing the broken possession, explaining its importance, and requesting action. However, the development of these points is somewhat limited. The explanation of why the photo is important is clear, but the tone shifts abruptly from personal to accusatory, which impacts the effectiveness of the letter. The request for the friend to repair the frame is direct, but the overall tone could be more balanced to better suit the context of a letter to a friend. The task is fulfilled, but the depth of expression is basic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the narrative. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite limited and sometimes mechanical. For example, the transition between the discovery of the damage and the request for repair feels abrupt. There is a lack of varied linking words to connect ideas smoothly. While the progression of ideas is logical, the overall flow is hindered by the repetitive sentence structure and the limited range of cohesive tools used to link the sentences together.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the message but remains quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'very important' and 'repair this' are used multiple times. There are some errors in word choice, such as 'they are not more now' instead of 'they are no longer with us'. The range of vocabulary is narrow, and there is little attempt to use more sophisticated or precise language to describe the situation or the emotions involved. The student relies on simple, everyday words throughout the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading. There are issues with verb tense consistency (e.g., 'as you stay' instead of 'as you stayed'), subject-verb agreement, and missing articles. Sentence structures are predominantly simple, with limited attempts at complex sentences. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the lack of proper sentence boundaries and capitalization. While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents a higher score.

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