Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-31

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 tanveer

I hope you are doing well . I am writing this letter to inform my expensive pot was broken when I was at London trip .

As you know I went for vacation last month with my cousins and no one is at home to take care of cat and we come here and handle everything very easy . Unfortunately, when I come back my favourite pot that my boyfriend gift me on last birthday was broken . Its very expensive and close to my heart . He bought it from delhi when we was go there and I have many feelings with this pot when I see the room .

I know its happen accidentally and I know you very well . I just say that please buy a new pot for me when you go delhi because your choice is very good and I don’t need any refund from you .

See you soon

Jaismeen Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: the broken item is described, its importance is explained, and a request for a replacement is made. However, the tone is inconsistent and the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation of why the pot is important is a bit repetitive ('expensive' and 'close to my heart'). While the task is addressed, the response lacks the appropriate level of detail and sophistication expected for a higher band. The tone is also slightly informal for a letter that involves a delicate situation, though it remains appropriate for a friend.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the narrative. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite basic and sometimes repetitive. Phrases like 'As you know' and 'Unfortunately' are used correctly, but the transitions between sentences within paragraphs are often abrupt. The referencing is sometimes unclear, such as the mention of the cat, which feels like an unnecessary detail that distracts from the main point of the letter. Better use of linking words would improve the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. There is a reliance on simple, repetitive words such as 'expensive', 'broken', and 'pot'. Some collocations are unnatural, such as 'I have many feelings with this pot'. There are also minor errors in word choice, such as 'London trip' instead of 'trip to London'. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more descriptive adjectives and idiomatic expressions that sound more natural in a personal letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, particularly with verb tenses and subject-verb agreement. Examples include 'no one is at home' (should be 'was'), 'we come here' (should be 'came'), 'my boyfriend gift me' (should be 'gifted'), and 'when we was go there' (should be 'when we went there'). While the meaning is generally clear, these errors are persistent and affect the overall accuracy of the writing. The sentence structures are mostly simple, with limited attempts at complex sentences.

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

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