Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-19

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 Martha,

I hope you are well. I would like to thank you for staying at my apartment when i was away on a trip. I was cleaning the kitchen today and discovered the dishwasher was not working properly. A burning smell was coming out of it. I presume it was over used. I also noticed mould was deposited at the corners. I have not handed over the product in such a worse condition.I am a working professional and i donot have much time to wash the dishes. I am extremely disappointment to see the condition of my diswasher. It is going to cost me heaven and earth to repair it.

I would appreciate, it if you could share the cost of repairing. I could have asked for full amount. However, I am asking for a partial amount. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours lovingly,

komal

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address the main situation and make a clear request for Martha to contribute to the repair cost. The dishwasher is identified, and the burning smell and mould describe its condition. However, the task asks you to explain why the possession is important to you; saying you are busy and do not have much time to wash dishes explains its usefulness, but not its personal or financial importance. The request for a partial contribution is also not specific about how much you expect or what action you want Martha to take next. The letter is 148 words, so it does not meet the 150-word minimum. Develop the importance more clearly and make the requested contribution precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter follows a generally clear order: you open politely, describe what you found, explain the practical impact, and then ask Martha to help with the repair cost. The closing is appropriate for a friend, and the request is easy to locate. Some links between ideas are less smooth, however. The shift from the dishwasher’s condition to “I am a working professional” feels abrupt, and the sentence about having “not handed over the product” is difficult to connect to the situation. The repair-cost request would also benefit from a clearer transition and a specific next step. Use paragraphing to separate the description and importance from your request, and make references between ideas more explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the problem, including “burning smell,” “mould,” and “cost of repairing.” There are also attempts at more expressive language, such as “heaven and earth,” but this phrase is not natural in this context; “a considerable amount” would be more suitable. Several word-choice and spelling problems reduce precision, including “over used,” “disappointment” where a describing adjective is needed, and “diswasher.” “Mould was deposited” is also an unnatural collocation. These errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the main message, but they show that vocabulary control is not yet consistent. Choose familiar, accurate collocations and proofread spelling and word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use mostly straightforward sentence forms and attempt some variety, for example with “I could have asked for full amount. However, I am asking for a partial amount.” The main message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors are noticeable. In “I would appreciate, it if,” the comma interrupts the clause; write “I would appreciate it if.” The phrase “in such a worse condition” has an incorrect comparative construction, and “I could have asked for full amount” needs an article before “full amount.” Capitalise “I” consistently. To improve, practise accurate article use and sentence punctuation, while combining related ideas into a few controlled complex sentences.

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

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