Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Dear rafia

Hope you are doing well the purpose of writing this letter is to tell u that my Coffee table is broken when I returned from my trip I came to know about this sad news I trusted you that u would take care of my housholds in my absence but didn't it's ok the coffee table was quite expensive it was of 35 $ . I ordered this from Amazon it took almost one month in delivery

It's very close to me I used to read newspaper and drink coffee on this table I am very much disheart drinking coffee on this table was part of my daily routine I didn't enjoy my coffee yesterday because of tha broken table .

Well I request you to buy me another coffee table from Amazon I Don't have enough savings to buy this again kindly help me buy this as it's bcz of your negligence u should pay back .I will be very thankful

Your friend ,

Saba

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have addressed all three bullet points: describing the item, explaining its importance, and requesting a resolution. However, the tone is problematic. In a letter to a friend, the language used—specifically phrases like 'it's bcz of your negligence u should pay back'—is overly aggressive and accusatory, which is inappropriate for the requested task type. While the ideas are relevant, the development is somewhat simplistic. To improve, ensure your tone remains polite and friendly, even when addressing a difficult situation, as this is a key requirement for General Training correspondence.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your points. However, the use of cohesive devices is very limited. There is a lack of linking words (e.g., 'furthermore', 'consequently', 'however') to connect your ideas smoothly. Many sentences are short and choppy, making the flow feel mechanical. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of transition words to link your sentences and paragraphs, and ensure that your punctuation is used correctly to separate thoughts rather than running them together.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is basic and repetitive. You rely on simple words like 'broken', 'expensive', and 'help'. There are also issues with informal abbreviations such as 'u' and 'bcz', which should be avoided in any formal or semi-formal writing task. The word choice is generally functional but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. To improve, try to incorporate more descriptive adjectives and avoid text-speak abbreviations entirely. Focus on using more natural collocations to express your feelings about the situation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter, including missing articles ('the coffee table'), incorrect verb tenses ('is broken' instead of 'was broken'), and run-on sentences. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with many missing commas and periods, which makes the text difficult to read in places. You rely almost exclusively on simple sentence structures. To improve, practice using a mix of complex sentences with subordinate clauses and pay closer attention to basic subject-verb agreement and punctuation rules.

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

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