Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-22

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 Asad,

I would like to bring your attention to an important issue, during your stay in my apartment, while i was on an away tour.

On returning home , i found that my Japanese watch was broken down. It costs almost one lac rupees and a friend of me gifted it to me .It was black in colour and light in weight.

It was close to my heart, because it was light in colour and it was a sign of our friendship and it reminds me of my friend whom i lost in an accident, who gifted this watch to me.

I would like you to take care of my belongings when i am away and as far as watch is concerned ,i think you should repair it because you are very good in repairing of watch as you are luckily expert in this field .

I hope you will take care of my possessions in your next stay and repair my watch.

yours sincerely,

ahmad

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three required points: you identify the broken Japanese watch, explain its sentimental value, and ask Asad to repair it. The detail that it was a gift from a friend who died in an accident gives a clear reason for its importance. However, some points are less fully explained: the description focuses on its colour and weight, while the damage itself is not specified, and the request could state more clearly what repair you expect or how you would like to arrange it. The opening is also rather formal for a friend, and the closing “yours sincerely” does not fully match the personal relationship. A more natural, direct tone would make the purpose clearer throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The information follows a generally sensible order: you introduce the issue, describe the watch, explain its emotional significance, and make a request. This gives the letter an overall coherent shape. Some links between ideas are less clear, however. The sentence beginning “It was close to my heart” repeats the watch’s colour and then shifts to its sentimental meaning, which makes the explanation feel loosely connected. The final two sentences also repeat the request to care for your possessions and repair the watch. Use clearer paragraphing for the problem, its importance, and your request, and avoid repeating the same point. More precise linking would help the reader follow the relationship between the watch’s value and your request.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the situation and its emotional importance, including “valuable possession,” “sign of our friendship,” and “expert in this field.” There are also attempts at more specific description, such as “Japanese watch” and “light in weight.” However, several expressions are unnatural or imprecise: “away tour,” “broken down” for a watch, “a friend of me,” and “repairing of watch.” The repeated use of “important,” “friendship,” and “watch” also limits flexibility. Choose more natural collocations and vary the wording where possible; for example, describe the watch as damaged or no longer working, and refer to its sentimental value. These improvements would make the message sound more fluent and appropriate for a personal letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response includes both simple statements and longer sentences with subordinate clauses, as in “because it was light in colour” and “whom I lost in an accident.” The main message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors occur. Examples include “while i was on an away tour,” “a friend of me gifted it,” and “when i am away,” where pronouns, phrasing, or tense use need attention. Punctuation and spacing are also inconsistent, particularly around commas and full stops, and “yours sincerely” should begin with a capital letter. Practise forming accurate clauses and checking articles, prepositions, and sentence boundaries. Greater control of these details would make the longer sentences easier to read.

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

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