Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-26

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 Mansi,

I hope you are doing well. I am going to write you a letter for important reason. I allowed you to stay at home when i went to the trip but i am really disappointed.

First of all, when i returned i was totally surprised by watching the cupboard because it is broken and all my clothes are improper. Moreover, the kitchen is very dirty and there were lots of plats unwashed in the basin. Honestly, the cupboard was gifted me by my father when i came to Canada and i was really very attached to it. As you know, i am very tidy person so i hate the dirty places.

Actually, I am going to repair my cupboard. However, it is not easy for me but it would be better if you could pay the repairing charge. I will forgive you for your mistakes.

Riddhi.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter covers all three bullet points: describing the item, explaining its importance, and requesting action. However, the response is slightly under the 150-word minimum, which impacts the overall task completion. The tone is somewhat aggressive rather than maintaining the expected semi-formal or friendly tone of a letter to a friend. The explanation of the importance of the cupboard is clear, but the request for the friend to pay for repairs is phrased in a way that feels abrupt. To improve, ensure you meet the word count and adopt a more appropriate tone for the relationship described.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the narrative. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and limited. Transitions like 'First of all' and 'Moreover' are used, but the flow between sentences is occasionally choppy. The referencing is generally clear, though the connection between the state of the kitchen and the broken cupboard could be smoother. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring a more natural progression of ideas would help elevate the score in this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. There are some awkward collocations, such as 'watching the cupboard' instead of 'noticing the damage' and 'improper' to describe clothes. The phrase 'repairing charge' is also slightly unnatural; 'repair costs' would be better. While the meaning is clear, the range of vocabulary is limited, and there are instances where more precise word choices would improve the quality of the writing. Expanding your range of synonyms and focusing on natural collocations will be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentences, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'I am going to write you a letter for important reason' (missing article), 'i went to the trip' (incorrect preposition), and 'gifted me by my father' (passive voice error). Additionally, the pronoun 'I' is frequently written in lowercase, which is a consistent punctuation error. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to affect the overall fluency and accuracy of the response.

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

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