Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-09

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 Jake,

I hope you had a comfortable stay at my apartment when I was away. I am writing this letter to you to mention an incident that has been happened during your stay at my place.

When I returned home, I noticed that my wristwatch had been damaged. I found the glass broken and left on your bedroom table. I am not blaming you that you have broken the watch, might have mistakenly fell down from the table.

The reason why I am so upset, this watch was gifted by my mother when I got first job. It has sentimental value, so it cannot easily be replaced.

I would like to know how the accident happened and also I would appreciate it if you could arrange someone to repair it or cover the costs of repair.

I hope you understand my feelings, and I am sure we can sort out this very smoothly.

Love,

Rajvir

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three required points: you identify the damaged wristwatch, explain its sentimental importance because it was a gift from your mother after your first job, and request that Jake arrange a repair or pay the repair costs. Your tone is generally appropriate for writing to a friend, and the request is clear without making an unsupported accusation. The explanation of the damage is somewhat speculative—“might have mistakenly fell down from the table”—and the requested action could be developed with a little more practical detail, such as asking Jake to contact you before arranging a repair. Overall, the purpose is clear and the ideas are relevant and supported; more precise development would make the letter stronger.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter follows a clear progression: a friendly opening, the discovery of the damage, an explanation of the watch’s importance, a request, and a warm closing. Paragraphing helps the reader distinguish these points, and links such as “The reason why” and “I would like to know” make the sequence easy to follow. The organisation is effective, though some transitions feel formulaic, and the opening sentence about the incident could connect more smoothly to the discovery. The final reassurance, “we can sort out this very smoothly,” also repeats the idea that the matter can be resolved without adding much. Varying the transitions and tightening this ending would make cohesion more flexible and natural.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range for the situation, including “sentimental value,” “cover the costs of repair,” and “comfortable stay.” These phrases communicate the main ideas clearly, and the friendly register is mostly suitable. There are, however, some inaccurate or unnatural choices: “mention an incident” is less natural than “tell you about an issue,” while “sort out this very smoothly” is not idiomatic. “Left on your bedroom table” is also unclear about whether the broken glass or the watch was left there. These slips do not prevent understanding, but more precise collocations and phrasing would show greater flexibility and control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The letter includes both simple and more complex forms, such as “I would appreciate it if you could arrange someone to repair it,” and most of the message remains understandable. Some grammatical errors are noticeable, however. “An incident that has been happened” uses an incorrect verb form; “I am not blaming you that you have broken the watch” has an inaccurate clause structure; and “might have mistakenly fell” should use the past participle after “might have.” The sentence “The reason why I am so upset, this watch was gifted…” also joins two clauses without a suitable grammatical link. Practise verb patterns and sentence boundaries, while retaining the range of structures you already attempt.

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

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