Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-02

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 John,

I am writing this letter with my utter most disappointment to inform you about the broken vase that i found last week after you left the apartment.

The vase i am talking about was an ancient Egyptian relic, i bought from the black market during my trip in Egypt. Covered in Gold, this vase has Egyptian carvings on it, possibly being 3000 years old.

While, being ancient isn't the only special attribute about this vase, but the price i paid for it. The vase cost me around $4000 usd and i found it broken in the apartment when i came back.

I would like you to pay me the amount of this vase. Since, i let you live in my apartment for free and you use this opportunity to break my valuable item. I should be able to receive this amount until next month. Else i will take you to the Court.

Yours Sincerely,

Martin Mystry.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all three bullet points: describing the vase, explaining its importance, and stating the desired action. However, the tone is highly inappropriate for a letter to a friend. The aggressive language, such as 'I should be able to receive this amount until next month' and the threat to take the friend to court, makes the letter sound like a formal legal notice rather than a personal communication. This failure to adopt a suitable tone for the context of a letter to a friend significantly impacts the task achievement, as the purpose of the letter is not conveyed in a socially appropriate manner.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is logically organized into paragraphs, with each bullet point addressed in a separate section. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally awkward, such as the transition 'While, being ancient isn't the only special attribute'. Paragraphing is present, but the flow between sentences is sometimes disjointed due to grammatical errors and unnatural phrasing. The overall structure is clear, but the lack of natural transitions between the description of the item and the demand for payment limits the coherence of the piece.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there are several issues with word choice and collocation. Phrases like 'utter most disappointment' (should be 'utmost') and 'black market' (which implies illegal activity, perhaps not the intended meaning) show a lack of precision. There is an attempt to use descriptive language ('ancient Egyptian relic', 'Egyptian carvings'), but the overall range is limited. Some errors, such as 'receive this amount until next month' instead of 'by next month', indicate a lack of control over common collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writing contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in punctuation and grammar. Examples include the misuse of commas ('While, being ancient', 'Since, i let you'), capitalization errors ('i', 'Gold', 'Court'), and incorrect verb tenses or structures ('you use this opportunity' instead of 'you used'). These errors are noticeable and occur throughout the text. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these slips prevents the writing from reaching a higher band score.

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

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