Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-29

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 Rahul,

I hope you are doing well. I recently return to my home from my trip as i came in my room i saw my laptop screen was broken there was a crack on the top of the screen. Moreover, the some of keys of the keyboard were not working.

Furthermore, this laptop was very important for me as it was give by my grandfather on my 22th birthday. Inaddition, i have alot of attachments with this laptop. My grandfather gave me this so i can do my work easy and fast. It is very much important to me for my work now it is broken due to which am unable to do my work.

Apart from this, as i have not any way to do my work i want you to give me your laptop for some days untill my laptop been repaired and i also want you to please take my laptop and get it repaired.

I hope to see you soon.

Your lovingly,

Mohit

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: describing the broken laptop, explaining its sentimental and functional importance, and requesting a solution. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation of why the laptop is important is repetitive, focusing twice on the fact that it is needed for work. To reach a higher band, you should expand on the emotional significance or the specific nature of the work affected to provide more depth. Overall, the task is fulfilled, but the content could be more detailed and varied.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the narrative. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'Furthermore', and 'Apart from this' to link ideas. However, some of these transitions feel slightly mechanical or forced. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear; for example, 'due to which am unable to do my work' lacks a clear subject. Improving the flow between sentences by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer back to their antecedents would improve the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your message clearly. You use some relevant terms like 'valuable possession', 'repaired', and 'attachments'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'I have alot of attachments with this laptop' (should be 'emotional attachment to') and 'it was give by' (should be 'given by'). The range is somewhat limited and relies on basic phrasing. To improve, try to incorporate more precise adjectives and idiomatic expressions suitable for a personal letter to a friend.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, particularly with verb tenses and sentence structure. Examples include 'I recently return' (should be 'returned'), 'as i came in my room' (should be 'when I entered my room'), and 'i have not any way' (should be 'I do not have any way'). You rely mostly on simple sentences, and your attempts at complex structures often contain errors, such as 'untill my laptop been repaired' (should be 'until my laptop has been repaired'). Increasing your control over basic verb tenses and subject-verb agreement is essential for a higher score.

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

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