Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-13

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 6.0)

Dear Jesus,

I am writing this to express my concerns over the breaking of my favorite flower vase during your stay at my apartment.

Upon my return, I found the broken vase pieces in the dustbin and I was astounded to register the fact that it is broken. It was a very special vase for me because I bought it from Europe last year during my trip. The vase was a old traditional vase from Norway and it was very rare. I am even more shocked because you failed to notify me about it. We could have worked it out among ourselves or at the minimum, I would have known about it.

Honestly, I am very disappointed by the fact that you hid this information from me. Now, I want you to call me as soon as possible. What would be even better would be that you visit my place. Let's make sure such events don't happen again.

Yours truly,

Sunny

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The letter addresses the central situation and includes the broken possession, its personal significance, and a request for contact and a visit. The explanation that the vase was bought in Europe and was a rare traditional piece from Norway gives the reader a reason it matters. However, the requested action is not fully clear: “call me” and “visit my place” do not say whether you expect an apology, an explanation, or help replacing or repairing the vase. The complaint that your friend “hid this information” is clear, but the letter could develop the request more tactfully and specifically. Clarifying what outcome you want would make the response more complete and purposeful.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The ideas follow a generally coherent order: you introduce the problem, explain the vase’s importance, express your reaction, and state what you want your friend to do. Paragraphing also separates the explanation from the request. Linking phrases such as “Upon my return,” “because,” and “Now” help the reader follow the sequence. Some connections are less smooth, however. “We could have worked it out among ourselves” is not fully explained, and “Let’s make sure such events don’t happen again” shifts to a general conclusion without specifying how. A clearer transition from your disappointment to a concrete request would strengthen the progression and make the letter feel less abrupt.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a personal complaint, including “express my concerns,” “astounded,” “traditional,” “rare,” and “disappointed.” These choices communicate your feelings and the vase’s value, and the meaning remains clear. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, though some combinations are not quite natural: “astounded to register the fact” sounds overly formal and awkward, while “the breaking of my favorite flower vase” is less idiomatic than a direct description of the damage. “A old” is a word-form/article issue, but the main vocabulary improvements are about natural collocation and tone. More precise, natural phrasing would show greater flexibility and control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The letter uses a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including the reason clause in “It was a very special vase for me because I bought it from Europe last year” and the conditional “We could have worked it out.” Most sentences are understandable, and grammatical errors do not obstruct the message. Some errors remain, such as “a old traditional vase,” where the article should be “an,” and “I was astounded to register the fact that it is broken,” where the tense shifts awkwardly from the past discovery to the present. The sentence beginning “What would be even better would be that you visit my place” is also structurally awkward. More accurate articles, tense consistency, and controlled complex phrasing would improve the writing.

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