Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

Dear Mesyy ,

Hope you are doing well.

I’m writing this letter to check on my watch gifted by my mom which happens to be broken and I’m not able to figure out what would have gone wrong I’m writing to check if you were able to find it when you were here when I was far from home during my trip. The watch was blue in color and has a leather hand belt with floral designs in it.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the task achievement. While you have attempted to address the bullet points by describing the watch and mentioning its importance, the explanation of what you would like your friend to do is entirely missing. Because the response is less than 80 words, it is impossible to fully develop the ideas required for the task. To improve, you must ensure you cover all three bullet points in detail and expand your writing to meet the minimum length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The letter is very brief, making it difficult to assess the use of cohesive devices or paragraphing. The ideas are presented in a single short block, lacking the logical progression and clear paragraph structure expected in an IELTS letter. There is a lack of transition between the greeting, the description of the item, and the purpose of the letter. To improve, you should organize your response into distinct paragraphs for each bullet point and use linking words such as 'furthermore', 'consequently', or 'however' to connect your ideas more effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'check on my watch' and 'what would have gone wrong' are somewhat informal and imprecise. There is a lack of variety in your word choice, and the description of the watch is quite simplistic. To achieve a higher band score, you should aim to use a wider range of vocabulary, including more specific adjectives and collocations related to personal possessions and damage. For example, instead of saying 'broken', you could use more descriptive terms to explain the nature of the damage.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The grammar is generally understandable, but there are issues with sentence structure and punctuation. For instance, the first paragraph is a run-on sentence that lacks proper punctuation, making it difficult to follow. There are also minor errors in phrasing, such as 'leather hand belt', which is not a standard collocation for a watch strap. To improve, focus on using a mix of simple and complex sentences and ensure that your punctuation is accurate to help the reader navigate your ideas clearly.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.