Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Dear Sukhpreet,

I hope your doing well. Firstly, thank you for living in my apartment on my request. However, when i returned home I noticed that my favourite cup was broken.

When i go in my kitchen to drink coffee, I find my favourite cup broken there. This cup is very important for my because my work best friend give me that cup. That was not only cup for me but my feelings are attached with this cup. My work best friend asked my one thing when i leave the work that he is giving me that cup so that i will always remember the time that we spent together.

Moreover, i want that you come at my home and fixed this cup because i want to keep that cup always with me so that i will always remember my work best friend.

Best wishes,

Ramanjeet Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points: describing the item, explaining its importance, and stating the desired action. However, the response falls slightly short of the 150-word minimum requirement, which negatively impacts the score. While the ideas are relevant, the development is somewhat repetitive, particularly regarding the sentimental value of the cup. To improve, you should expand on the description of the item or provide more detail about the circumstances of the damage to ensure the response is sufficiently developed and meets the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organised into logical paragraphs, and the progression of ideas is generally clear. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'However', and 'Moreover' to link your points. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by repetitive phrasing and some awkward transitions. For example, the connection between the discovery of the broken cup and the explanation of its importance could be smoother. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, unified focus.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is quite repetitive. You use the word 'cup' and 'best friend' multiple times, which limits the range of your expression. There are also some minor errors in word choice, such as 'fixed' instead of 'fix' or 'repair'. To improve, try to use synonyms or more descriptive language to convey your feelings. For instance, instead of saying 'my feelings are attached', you could use 'it holds great sentimental value'. Expanding your vocabulary will help you express your ideas with more precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter, including subject-verb agreement issues ('I hope your doing well' instead of 'you're'), tense inconsistencies ('When i go in my kitchen' instead of 'went'), and pronoun errors ('important for my' instead of 'me'). While the meaning is generally clear, these errors are noticeable and occur in simple sentence structures. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, particularly verb tenses and pronoun usage. Incorporating a few more complex sentence structures would also help demonstrate a wider grammatical range.

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

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