Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-09

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 Ajay,

I hope this letter find you in good spirit and hope . Firstly thank you for your valuable time that you gave when i was out of town .

I found my glass pot was deadly broken which was very expensive and gift from my dearest close relative who reside in Portugal .

It had far - reaching benefits to my body , mind ,and spirit . It provided unwind and satisfaction to my mind by explore the fragrance every 15 mint and help me to calm . Not only did this only satisfaction but it confer coginitive ability and productivity by enhancing the atmosphere of house

I want you just apologise to my uncle who is very close to us , because they frequently visit to our house . If they found that pot was deadly damagaed then he feel uneasy . I hope you understand.

Your friend

Sandeep kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have addressed all three bullet points: describing the item, explaining its importance, and stating what you would like your friend to do. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited and occasionally confusing. For instance, the description of the 'glass pot' and its 'far-reaching benefits' is quite abstract and difficult to follow, making the explanation of its importance feel unnatural. While you have covered the requirements, the tone is inconsistent, and the request for your friend to apologize to your uncle is a bit unusual for a letter to a friend. To improve, ensure your explanations are grounded in clear, logical reasoning that a reader can easily understand.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the flow between sentences is often disjointed. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Firstly' and 'Not only did this', but they are sometimes used incorrectly or in a way that creates awkward phrasing. The transition between the description of the item and the request for an apology is abrupt. To improve, focus on using linking words more naturally and ensuring that each sentence logically follows the previous one to create a smoother progression of ideas throughout the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is somewhat limited and often imprecise. Phrases like 'deadly broken' and 'deadly damagaed' are incorrect collocations; 'deadly' is not used to describe broken objects. Additionally, 'provide unwind' is not standard English. While you attempt to use more complex vocabulary, such as 'confer cognitive ability', it is used in a context that does not quite make sense. To reach a higher band, focus on using words that you are confident are correct and pay closer attention to how words are typically paired together in English (collocations).

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter that occasionally impede communication. Examples include 'I hope this letter find you', 'gift from my dearest close relative who reside', and 'If they found that pot was deadly damagaed then he feel uneasy'. These errors involve subject-verb agreement, tense consistency, and article usage. While you attempt some complex sentence structures, they are often marred by these inaccuracies. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, particularly subject-verb agreement and consistent verb tenses, before attempting more complex grammatical structures.

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

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