Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-08

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)

mirror> i use it for reading dressing >appearence > plan to buy with contribution

Dear Gurpreet,

I hope you are doing well. i want to inform you that when i came back to home after a trip, i realized that a mirror was broken. i felt disappointed after seeing it.

As you know this imported mirror was gifted by my elder sister ,which is really close to my heart. i used it in my daily routine in order to assure my physical appearence is good an i looked good.

you know it is difficult to buy same mirror with external exterior so i have a plan to buy new one and divide the cost of mirror between you and i

Thanks for your support and assistence. I look forward for your response.

warm regards,

Rajvir kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address all three requested points: you identify the broken mirror, explain that it was a gift from your elder sister and is “really close to my heart,” and propose sharing the cost of a replacement. These details make the letter relevant and give the reader a clear sense of your request. However, the explanation of why the mirror matters is brief, and the proposed arrangement is not fully clear: “divide the cost of mirror between you and I” does not specify whether you expect your friend to pay half or contribute another amount. The response is also 14 words below the required minimum, so there is limited space to develop these ideas. Add a little more context and state your request precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter has a recognisable structure, with a greeting, separate paragraphs for the problem and its importance, and a closing. The sequence is generally understandable: you report the damage, explain the mirror’s personal value, and suggest what should happen next. However, the progression within paragraphs is sometimes abrupt, and the final request would benefit from a clearer link to the explanation of the damage. Some connections are also awkward, such as “As you know” before introducing the mirror’s significance. Use linking phrases to show cause and result, and make the request a distinct, complete final paragraph. Consistent paragraph spacing and conventional letter formatting would also make the organisation easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the main situation, including “imported mirror,” “gifted,” “daily routine,” and “disappointed.” The personal wording “close to my heart” also conveys your feelings clearly. However, the range is limited, and several choices or spellings are inaccurate or unnatural, including “physical appearence,” “external exterior,” and “assistence.” The phrase “assure my physical appearance is good” is also an awkward way to describe checking how you look. These errors sometimes make the reader pause, even though the overall message remains understandable. Aim for precise, natural collocations and check spelling; for example, explain that you used the mirror to check your appearance before going out.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, such as “As you know this imported mirror was gifted by my elder sister, which is really close to my heart.” The main events and request can generally be understood, but errors in sentence construction and punctuation are noticeable. For example, “when i came back to home” has an unnecessary preposition, and the sentence beginning “As you know” has unclear clause structure: “which” does not clearly refer to the mirror or the gift. The final proposal, “divide the cost of mirror between you and I,” also needs more accurate article use and pronoun form. Practise building complete, clearly linked sentences, and check capitalisation, commas, and sentence boundaries.

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

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