Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-09

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 6.5)

Dear Crecy,

Hope you are doing well. Thank you for taking care of my place while I was away. The trip was amazing and I have so much to tell you about it.

While I was unpacking my bag, I saw the top shelf of the cupboard where all my ancestors belongings are kept. The antique watch was missing. After a good search, I found it under the bed broken and one of the screw was missing.

Well, it was gifted by my grand mother on my 18th birthday. Also, the watch was passed over by my great grand mother holding a sentimental value for me.

It would be great if you can help me search a repair shop online or accompany me to the antique store around the city. As it's ancient, the repair price could be high, I would appreciate if we can divide the cost of damage.

Please let me know if you are able to come.

Regards,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: describing the broken item, explaining its significance, and proposing a solution. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, maintaining a balance between being firm about the damage and friendly in the opening and closing. The ideas are relevant and clearly presented. To reach a higher band, the development could be slightly more detailed; for instance, describing the 'antique watch' in more vivid terms or explaining the emotional connection to the great-grandmother more deeply would enhance the response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with clear paragraphing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, which helps the reader follow the narrative. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'While I was unpacking' and 'Also', though some transitions feel a bit mechanical. The progression of ideas is smooth, moving from the discovery of the damage to the emotional context and finally to the proposed resolution. The use of referencing is generally clear, though the transition between the discovery of the watch and its history could be more fluid.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing for clear communication. You use some specific terms like 'sentimental value' and 'antique store' effectively. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'ancestors belongings' (should be 'ancestor's') and 'passed over' (should be 'passed down'). The range is sufficient to convey the message, but incorporating more sophisticated collocations or idiomatic expressions related to personal belongings or apologies would elevate the lexical score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'one of the screw was missing' (should be 'screws') and 'gifted by my grand mother' (should be 'a gift from my grandmother'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor errors in article usage and pluralization. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher band score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage will help improve accuracy.

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

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