Band 9.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 9.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-18

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 9.0)

Dear Arsh,

I hope you had a great time staying at my place while i was away. It was great to catch up briefly when i got back yesterday.

However, when I was unpacking in the living room, I noticed that my vintage ceramic coffee table lamp was knocked over and the base is completely shattered. It looks like it might have accidentally slipped or been bumped into.

I’m really devastated about this because that lamp is incredibly important to me. It was a graduation gift from my grandmother, who passed away last year. She spent months hunting for it in antique shops, so it holds a lot of sentimental value and simply cannot be replaced with a modern store-bought one.

Since it’s too badly broken to glue back together, I’d really appreciate it if you could help me find a specialist antique repair shop in town to see if the ceramic base can be professionally restored. If it turns out to be unfixable, perhaps we could look online together to find a similar vintage piece, and you could cover the cost of the replacement.

Let me know what you think when you have a moment.

Warmly,

Ravneet Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 9.0

The response fully addresses all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly describe the broken item (a vintage ceramic coffee table lamp), explain its sentimental importance as a graduation gift from your grandmother, and provide a clear, reasonable request for your friend to help with repairs or replacement. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend—polite yet direct. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the letter is clear from the start. You have successfully covered all requirements of the task in a natural and coherent manner.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 9.0

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a specific aspect of the task. The progression of ideas is smooth, moving from the initial discovery of the damage to the emotional significance, and finally to the proposed solution. You use cohesive devices effectively, such as 'However,' 'Since it’s too badly broken,' and 'If it turns out to be,' which help connect your thoughts naturally. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure is easy to follow, making the letter very readable.

Lexical Resource — Band 9.0

You demonstrate a wide and natural range of vocabulary that is well-suited to the context. Phrases like 'vintage ceramic coffee table lamp,' 'shattered,' 'devastated,' and 'professionally restored' show a high level of lexical control. The language is precise and conveys the intended meaning without any awkwardness. You successfully use descriptive language to emphasize the value of the item, which adds depth to your writing. There are no errors in word choice or collocation, and the vocabulary is consistently appropriate for the task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

Your grammar is excellent, with a variety of complex sentence structures used accurately throughout the letter. You correctly use conditional sentences ('If it turns out to be unfixable...') and relative clauses ('who passed away last year'). Punctuation is used correctly to support the flow of your sentences. While there are minor slips, such as the lowercase 'i' in the first paragraph, these are rare and do not detract from the overall high quality of the writing. The majority of your sentences are error-free, demonstrating a high level of grammatical control.

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

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