Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-26

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 5.0)

Dear Sara,

I hope you are doing great on your new job. Last week, when I went to a bussines meeting to out of city and you wanted to stay my home for a job interview in a company which was near to my residence. And as a my close friend I permitted to you you could stay there and use my accommodation like your own home. However, when you got job you had gone. I am very happy for your recent position. But I am very disappointed about your careless attitude.

Let me explain that when i arrived at home I saw my kitchen was untidy and you had utillized my utensills but did not washed. There were huge mass at my place. The paramount blunder was you had broken my laptop charger which is essential for my job purposes.Dut to you carelessness i could not do my company projects.

In these days i do not time for

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You establish the situation and identify the broken possession: “my laptop charger,” then explain that it is essential for your work and that you could not complete company projects. These details address the first two points, but the explanation of the charger’s personal importance is brief, and the letter does not clearly state what you want Sara to do. The final line, “In these days i do not time for,” is unfinished, so the requested action is missing and the message feels incomplete. The complaint about the untidy kitchen is relevant background, but it takes space without resolving the main issue. Develop the charger’s significance and make a clear, polite request, such as asking Sara to replace it or pay for a repair.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic sequence: it explains why Sara stayed, describes what you found, and then introduces the charger problem. Paragraph breaks help distinguish the background from the complaint. However, progression is weakened by the long, confusing opening sentence, which combines the trip, Sara’s interview, and permission to stay without clear links. Connectors such as “However” and “But” are used, but the relationship between ideas is not always clear, and the unfinished final sentence interrupts the letter’s conclusion. Organise the message into a clear opening, a paragraph about the broken charger and its importance, and a closing paragraph stating what you expect Sara to do. Use pronouns and time references consistently so the reader can follow events.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some vocabulary suited to the situation, including “business meeting,” “job interview,” “essential,” and “company projects,” and the reader can generally understand the main complaint. There are also attempts at more formal or emphatic wording, such as “paramount blunder,” but this sounds unnatural in a personal letter. Several spelling and word-choice errors—“bussines,” “utillized,” “utensills,” and “huge mass”—make parts less clear or less natural. Choose familiar, accurate collocations rather than forcing formal expressions: for example, “a serious problem” would fit better than “paramount blunder,” and “a mess” is more natural than “huge mass.” Proofreading spelling and selecting precise everyday terms would make the message clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to combine ideas using clauses and time references, for example, “when I arrived at home I saw…” and “when I went…”. However, many sentences are difficult to follow because clauses are joined incorrectly or lack complete structures. The opening begins “Last week, when I went…” but does not form a clear main clause, while “you wanted to stay my home” and “I permitted to you you could stay” show problems with sentence patterns and prepositions. There are also errors in verb forms and agreement, as in “did not washed,” and the final sentence is incomplete. Practise writing shorter, complete sentences first, then add subordinate clauses carefully. Check past-tense forms, articles, and punctuation before submitting.

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