Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear Ekansh,

Hope you are doing well. How's your work and life going? I am writing this letter to inform you about the painting which is broken and it was very close to my heart. You know the painting which has lord shiv and parvati in it. It was so close to my heart.

I realised before I left for vacation it was perfectly fine but a day after I came back from my vacation I was surprised to see, as it was shattered.

I am very broken from inside, I know you did not do it intentionally but, what hurts me most is, you didn't tell me about this. It feels like you trying to hide it. I don't want new painting or something but I want you to be honest with me and careful from next time about things. I hope you will not bring this conversation in between of our friendship.

Wish to hear from you as well!!

Yours truly,

Mohit

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task: describing the broken item, explaining its importance, and stating what you would like the friend to do. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, though the development of ideas is somewhat brief. For instance, while you mention the painting is 'close to my heart,' expanding slightly on why it holds such sentimental value would have strengthened the response. The request for the friend to be honest is clear, but the letter could benefit from a more balanced approach to the situation to better reflect the 'General Training' letter-writing style.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your message. You use basic cohesive devices like 'I am writing this letter to' and 'I realised,' which provide a clear structure. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes a bit mechanical, and the transition between the description of the painting and the emotional impact could be smoother. The use of referencing is generally clear, though some sentences feel slightly disjointed. Improving the variety of linking words would help the ideas connect more naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You use a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message effectively, such as 'intentionally,' 'shattered,' and 'sentimental' (implied). However, there are some repetitive phrases, such as 'close to my heart,' which appears twice in the first paragraph. There are also minor issues with collocation, such as 'bring this conversation in between of our friendship,' which is not standard English. Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise adjectives and idiomatic expressions would help you reach a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'the painting which has lord shiv and parvati in it' (needs capitalization and better phrasing) and 'you trying to hide it' (missing auxiliary verb 'are'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some run-on sentences and comma splices. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and ensuring that complex sentences are constructed with correct auxiliary verbs and prepositions.

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

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