Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Predictions Nov 2026 · 2026-11-05

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You are walking home through Oak Lane on Tuesday evening when you find a dog without anyone nearby. Its collar has the name and address of your neighbour, Mr Lewis, who you know only slightly. You take the dog to your flat because it is raining, but you are unsure whether he is at home.

Write a letter to Mr Lewis. In your letter

• explain where and when you found the dog
• describe what you have done to look after it since finding it
• ask him to collect the dog or suggest another way to return it

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ...............,

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Dear Mr Lewis,

Hope soo you enjoying good health.In this latter,I want to inform you that,I Found a dog is same as yours dog. But i am not sure that is it your dog or some other.

Yesterday i am coming back from my work and is raining heavily in our area. When I reached Oak Lane 1 km away from my flat.I saw a dog is shivering due to cold weather and heavy rain. So i went to the dog and when i saw his collar it,s your name is written and your address as well.

So i take dog with me in my flat.I gave meat and dog food for ate to him.And now i am not sure your are at home or no because I want to return your dog.Or tell me another way that I contact you and return it.Plz read this latter and reply me as soon as possible.I am grateful to you.

your neighbour,x.y.z

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three required points: you identify Oak Lane and Tuesday evening, explain that you brought the dog into your flat and gave it food, and ask Mr Lewis to arrange its return. The details about the rain and the dog shivering make the situation clear. However, some parts are less fully developed than others. The care provided is limited to feeding, and the request is not very specific: you could ask him to collect the dog from your flat at a suggested time, while offering a clear alternative if he is away. The opening also says you are unsure whether it is his dog, despite the collar showing his name and address. Clarifying this would make the purpose more consistent.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The information follows a generally sensible order: you introduce the reason for writing, describe finding the dog, explain what you did, and finish by asking for a reply. Time and cause are also signalled with phrases such as “Yesterday” and “So.” However, the letter is presented as one continuous block, so the stages of the message are not visually separated. Some links feel mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “and” in the final section, and the reference in “it,s your name” is unclear. Use separate paragraphs for the purpose, the events and care, and the return arrangements; then connect ideas with clearer references such as “the dog” or “your pet.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough relevant vocabulary to communicate the situation, including “collar,” “shivering,” “heavy rain,” “flat,” and “return.” These details help the reader understand what happened. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are noticeably inaccurate, which can make the message less natural: “good health,” “same as yours dog,” and “food for ate to him” are examples. Informal forms such as “Plz” are also unsuitable for a polite letter to a neighbour you know only slightly. Aim for standard, precise expressions and check spelling and word forms. For example, “I found a dog that looks like yours” and “I gave it some dog food” would communicate the same ideas more naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The letter includes both short statements and attempts to link events in longer sentences, for example, “Yesterday i am coming back from my work and is raining heavily in our area.” This shows an effort to describe a sequence, but some sentence structures and verb forms are inaccurate. The past events need consistent past tense: “I was coming back” or, more naturally, “I was walking home,” followed by “it was raining.” There are also errors in articles, agreement, and sentence boundaries, as in “I saw a dog is shivering” and “So i take dog with me in my flat.” Capitalisation and punctuation are inconsistent. Practise forming clear past-tense sentences and separating complete ideas with full stops.

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

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