Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-16

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)

16 September,2005

Hello Raman,

I hope you had a great time at my space while I was away you might had a good private time to spend as you were alone by youself in the wholw aparment .

I am writing this letter to take into your. attention that when I came back from my trip after a week , I found the painting hang on the living space was broken and scattered all over the floor .

As I entered the living room I saw it all the mess happened .I felt really bad as it was so close to my heart .It was the only painting that I had from my grandmother's handmade paintings .

I am not blaming you for it as but as I figured out it fall down because of the wind that came through the window you left opened on the left side wall.This should not have happened if you closed the windows properly every night before going to the bed.Anyways, I would like you to you to buy me a painting similar to that so that I can relate it to that in some ways .

I am expecting you to understand the situation and handle it carefully .

Thank you ,

Riya

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The candidate successfully covers all the required bullet points in the prompt. First, the broken possession is clearly described as a framed painting found scattered on the living room floor. Second, the importance of the item is explained, noting that it was a cherished family heirloom from the writer's grandmother's handmade collection, which gives it strong emotional value. Third, the letter specifies what the friend is asked to do, which is to purchase a similar replacement painting. The tone is appropriate for an informal letter to a friend, balancing mild frustration with politeness. Although there are minor awkward phrasings regarding how the accident occurred, all parts of the task are fully addressed and supported with sufficient detail. Therefore, the response meets the criteria for Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter maintains a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. It begins with a friendly opening, transitions into the purpose of the letter, describes the incident and its emotional significance, suggests a remedy, and concludes appropriately. Paragraphing is used to separate distinct ideas, such as the description of the event, the importance of the painting, and the expected resolution. Cohesive devices are generally used appropriately, for instance, using phrases like 'As I entered' and 'Anyways'. However, referencing and transitions are occasionally slightly mechanical or repetitive, such as the phrase 'to it as but as I figured out'. Overall, the message flows well and is easy to follow, supporting a solid Band 6.5 or 7.0; given the clear logical progression, a Band 7.0 is warranted.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, though it tends to be basic or slightly informal in places. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary items and phrases, such as 'heirloom', 'emotional value', or 'scattered all over the floor', but also makes noticeable word-choice and collocation errors, such as 'take into your. attention', 'hang on the living space', and 'relate it to that in some ways'. Spelling is generally good, but there are lexical inaccuracies that occasionally strain natural expression. The range of vocabulary is sufficient for clear communication, but lack of precision and occasional awkwardness place it within the Band 6 category.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating an attempt at structures such as relative clauses and conditional-style reasoning (e.g., 'This should not have happened if you closed the windows properly...'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors and punctuation slips throughout the text. Examples include run-on structures and missing punctuation, such as 'while I was away you might had a good private time', 'painting hang on the living space', and 'you to you to buy me'. While these errors do not impede overall communication and the reader can easily follow the narrative, they persist too frequently for a higher band. Consequently, the grammatical accuracy aligns best with Band 6.

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

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