Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-21

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 6.5)

Dear Twincee

How have you been? I hope you enjoyed your stay at my house. I am writing with dissatisfaction about the damage you caused while staying at my house.

I got to notice one of the flower vases in the living room was missing from its original point i mounted it properly beside the television console. Getting close to the TV console, i discovered some broken pieces of the missing flower vase. I am so displeased to learn about this damage.

I valued this flower vase so much because it was a gift from my mother on my birthday, of which i cherish and value it so much. Getting to see it daily in my living room reminds me of her always. It was of high value to me.

I am writing for a replacement of the flower vase due too the fact that it was gift that is more valuable to me and considering the person who gave me.

Your sincerely,

Emmy

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter covers all three bullet points: describing the broken item, explaining its importance, and stating the desired action. However, the tone is inconsistent. While the task requires a letter to a friend, the language used is overly formal and somewhat accusatory (e.g., 'I am writing with dissatisfaction about the damage you caused'). This creates a mismatch between the relationship (friend) and the register. To improve, the tone should be more balanced—expressing disappointment while maintaining the warmth expected in a letter to a friend. The ideas are clear, but the development of the 'what you would like your friend to do' section is slightly abrupt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized into paragraphs, each addressing a specific part of the prompt. There is a clear progression of ideas from the opening to the conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Getting close to the TV console' and 'due to the fact that', though some transitions feel a bit mechanical. The use of referencing is generally clear, though the opening sentence 'I got to notice' is slightly awkward. Overall, the structure is easy to follow, and the paragraphing is appropriate for a formal-style letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the message to be conveyed clearly. There are some instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'at my house' repeated twice in the first paragraph, and 'original point i mounted it'. The phrase 'I am writing for a replacement' is functional but could be more natural. There are also minor errors in collocation and phrasing, such as 'I got to notice' instead of 'I noticed'. To reach a higher band, you should aim for more varied and natural collocations suitable for a personal letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'due too the fact' (spelling/preposition error), 'of which i cherish and value it' (redundant pronoun), and 'Your sincerely' (incorrect closing). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are issues with capitalization (e.g., 'i' instead of 'I'). While the meaning is never in doubt, the frequency of these minor errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and capitalization would significantly improve the accuracy.

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

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