Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-10

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 7.5)

Dear David,

Hope you are in radiant health and in the best of spirits. I'm writing to you regarding a concern about my flower vase, which was broken when you were residing in my house last month, and I was in Switzerland.

This piece of art was red and medium-sized, always kept on the dining table, so surely you would have noticed it during your visits to my house.

As for its importance, it was gifted by my mother on my 18th birthday, since then, I have kept it with immense care because my mother is very emotional and can feel hurt if I do not do so.

Now this vase is broken, and I want to bring a similar one before my mom's next visit to my house. I'm sure you did not do it intentionally, but I would be thankful to you if you could bring a new one, as I'm quite busy after coming back from vacation. I would send you its previous picture that could help you to locate an art form like this conveniently.

Hope it will be easy for you.

Kind regards,

Harman

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly described the vase, explained its sentimental value as a gift from your mother, and provided a reasonable request for your friend to replace it. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, maintaining a balance between being firm about the damage and remaining polite. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the letter is clear from the outset. You have fully satisfied the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the task, which makes the letter easy to follow. You use appropriate paragraphing and basic cohesive devices such as 'As for its importance' and 'Now this vase is broken' to transition between points. While the flow is generally smooth, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat standard; incorporating a wider variety of linking words could further enhance the sophistication of the text, but the current structure is effective and clear.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary, such as 'radiant health', 'residing', and 'intentionally'. The word choice is generally precise and fits the context of a personal letter. There are a few minor awkward phrasings, such as 'bring a similar one' (replace it) and 'locate an art form like this' (find a similar item), which slightly impact the naturalness of the expression. However, the vocabulary is more than adequate to convey your message clearly and effectively throughout the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures with generally good control. There are some minor grammatical slips, such as 'since then, I have kept it' (which should be 'and since then, I have kept it' or a new sentence) and 'I would send you its previous picture' (which should be 'a picture of it'). Despite these occasional errors, your meaning is never obscured, and the majority of your sentences are accurate. The punctuation is generally correct, contributing to the overall readability of the letter.

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

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