Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-27

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 7.5)

Dear Alex,

I hope you're doing well. Thank you for looking after my apartment while I was away on vacation. I really appreciated your help.

However, when I got back home yesterday, I noticed that my vintage glass table lamp on the living room side table was knocked over and severely cracked. The shade is chipped, and the Internal wiring seems to be damaged, so it no longer turns on.

This lamp Is extremely special to me because It was a housewarming gift given to me by my grandparents when I first moved Into my own place. Aside from its monetary value, it carries a lot of sentimental worth, and It breaks my heart to see It damaged like this.

Since It means so much to me, I was wondering If you could help me to get fixed. I found a local shop that specializes in vintage home decor, and I would appreciate It If I could use your car to get the store instate of the repairing costs.

Please let me know as soon as possible If that works for you.

Warm Regards,

Aamena

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

You have fully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly described the vintage lamp, explained its sentimental value as a gift from your grandparents, and provided a specific request for your friend to assist with transportation to a repair shop. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, maintaining a balance between being polite and addressing the issue directly. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the letter is clear from the outset. You have successfully met all the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the task, which makes the letter easy to follow. You have used appropriate cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Aside from', and 'Since', which help to connect your sentences and paragraphs smoothly. The opening and closing are standard and appropriate for the context. The paragraphing is used effectively to separate the introduction, the description of the problem, the explanation of its importance, and the proposed solution.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You have used a good range of vocabulary appropriate for the context, such as 'vintage', 'monetary value', 'sentimental worth', and 'specializes'. The language is natural and fits the tone of a personal letter well. There are no significant errors in word choice or collocation that impede communication. While the vocabulary is sufficient and accurate, incorporating a few more sophisticated or idiomatic expressions could elevate the response further, but for this task, your current range is more than adequate to convey your message clearly and effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good command of grammatical structures, using a mix of simple and complex sentences effectively. For example, 'I was wondering if you could help me to get fixed' and 'Aside from its monetary value, it carries a lot of sentimental worth' show good control. There are a few minor slips, such as 'get fixed' (should be 'get it fixed') and 'instate of' (should be 'instead of'), as well as some inconsistent capitalization (e.g., 'Internal', 'Is', 'It'). However, these errors are infrequent and do not hinder the reader's understanding of your message.

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

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