Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-29

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 5.5)

Dear friend,

Hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to ask you about my precious vase that i found in my apartment broken. I am worried about the mishap thus I decide to ask you.

When i came back to my apartment i saw the vase was broken and you throw it in the bin. I felt sad becuase i love this vase. I always take care of this vase becuse it had a memory since my mother had gone.

I want to tell that that vase a gift that was given to me by my mother before her death. Its so worthy for me. Its the last memory of my mother which i safed with my wholeheart.

Furthermore i have complaint that you should not threw the vase in the bin and you must inform me about this loss. I will suggest to you what we should do next but you disappointed me in this scenario. I advise you that if you have loss next time of any person must inform him about the loss. Hope you will understand.

your loving,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response covers all three bullet points required in the task instructions. You successfully describe the broken item as a precious vase, explain its high importance to you as the last memory and a gift from your deceased mother, and clearly state what you would like your friend to do (expressing dissatisfaction and advising them to inform owners immediately if something breaks in the future). However, the tone fluctuates between a friendly letter and an overly blunt, accusatory complaint. While the ideas are relevant, some parts lack the nuance expected for a semi-formal or informal letter. Overall, all parts of the prompt are addressed, fulfilling the criteria for a Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter follows a basic logical organisation with a clear beginning, middle, and end, and it is divided into manageable paragraphs. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes mechanical and abrupt. For instance, the transition from explaining the importance of the vase to expressing your complaint feels disjointed ('Furthermore i have complaint...'). Referencing and cohesive devices are also basic or occasionally repetitive (e.g., overusing 'this vase'). Paragraphing is present, but the overall cohesion lacks flexibility. This performance corresponds well to a Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

Your vocabulary range is adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your message clearly despite some limitations. You attempt some less common vocabulary items, such as 'precious vase', 'mishap', and 'scenario', but there are noticeable word choice and collocation inaccuracies (e.g., 'Its so worthy for me' instead of 'It means a great deal to me', and 'safed with my wholeheart'). Spelling errors are also present, such as 'becuase' and 'becuse'. These errors do not seriously impede communication, but they restrict the score to a Band 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'I am writing this letter to ask you about my precious vase that i found in my apartment broken.' However, there are frequent errors in grammar, punctuation, and capitalization (e.g., lower-case 'i', missing apostrophes in 'Its' and 'didnt', and tense issues like 'you throw it' instead of 'you threw it'). Complex sentences often contain errors. While the meaning remains mostly clear, the density of grammatical mistakes keeps the score at a Band 5.0.

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

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