Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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)

Hi Aman,

Hope you are doing well!

How was your time and stay at my apartment? Also, I noticed here that my valuable possession was broken which was very memorable to me as it was a gift from my grandparents. I remind them through this possession. Although, this is white in color with blue small printed design and some flowers and butterflies on it. Apart from this, it is made of clay and mud and antique piece of the last century.I was unhappy when I reached there and saw all these mess in my apartment. Also, it made me sad and broken, seems like my grandparents get away from me.

I wanted you to repair this piece for me or either bring me another of it.

I hope you will understand my concern.

Your friend,

Preet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers all three bullet points: describing the item, explaining its importance, and requesting a resolution. However, the letter is under the 150-word minimum, which limits the development of ideas. The description of the item is somewhat repetitive, and the tone is slightly inconsistent, shifting from a friendly opening to a rather blunt demand. To improve, you should expand on the emotional significance of the item and provide more context regarding the situation to ensure the letter feels complete and meets the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into short paragraphs, which is appropriate for a personal letter. However, the logical flow between sentences is sometimes disjointed. For example, the transition from asking about the stay to mentioning the broken item is abrupt. The use of cohesive devices is limited; you rely heavily on simple conjunctions like 'and' or 'also'. To improve, try using a wider range of linking words such as 'unfortunately', 'consequently', or 'furthermore' to connect your ideas more smoothly and create a more natural progression of thought.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for a personal letter, but it lacks the precision needed for a higher score. Phrases like 'saw all these mess' are grammatically incorrect and imprecise. You use some descriptive words like 'antique' and 'memorable', which is good, but the overall range is limited. To reach a higher band, focus on using more sophisticated collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing. For instance, instead of saying 'remind them through this possession', you could use 'it serves as a sentimental reminder of my grandparents'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are several grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. For example, 'I remind them through this possession' is awkward, and 'saw all these mess' should be 'saw all this mess'. You also have issues with verb tense consistency and sentence structure, such as 'seems like my grandparents get away from me', which is unclear. While you attempt some complex sentences, they are often faulty. Focus on mastering basic sentence structures and ensuring subject-verb agreement before attempting more complex grammatical forms.

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

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