Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Predictions Nov 2026 · 2026-11-09

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You have noticed that a streetlight near your home is not working. The local council looks after the streetlights in your area. Write a letter to the local council.

Write a letter to the local council. In your letter

• say exactly where the streetlight is and what is wrong with it
• describe how the problem affects people who use the street
• ask the council to get the light fixed

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 5.0)

dear Sir,

Today I am writing this to you regarding the problem, which we are facing in these days. The problem is a streetlights which are not working properly. I am live in newton area in 144 Street 72 avnue.

This problem is creating a lot of issues, like, at the night time when kids and other people are coming back in there homes from ground and parks in late night, they cannot see anything on streets, also it is cause for safety issues. many holes on our area street but due to visibility problem at night, car drivers are not see that holes so it is cause to damaging cars.

Plz send the machenic fix the lig

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the general problem and explain two relevant effects: people returning from parks cannot see clearly, and drivers may hit potholes and damage their cars. However, the task is only partially addressed. The location is given as “newton area in 144 Street 72 avnue,” but this does not pinpoint which streetlight is faulty, and the description “streetlights … are not working properly” does not clarify whether one light or several are affected. Most importantly, the request to the council is cut off at “Plz send the machenic fix the lig,” so the action you want is not communicated clearly. The response is also 32 words below the required minimum. Add a complete, polite request and develop the location and problem more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a basic overall progression: it introduces the problem, describes its effects, and begins a request. This makes the main purpose partly understandable. The effects are grouped together in one long sentence, however, and the final request is incomplete, so the message does not reach a clear conclusion. Linking is also limited: “also” and “so” connect ideas, but the relationship between the faulty light, poor visibility, and the potholes could be organised more clearly. Use separate paragraphs for the report, its consequences, and the requested repair, and connect the examples with clear transitions such as “As a result” or “I would therefore be grateful if…”.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for the situation, including “streetlights,” “safety issues,” “visibility,” and “car drivers.” However, the range is limited, and several word choices or spellings make the letter difficult to read professionally. Examples include “avnue,” “Plz,” “machenic,” and “lig”; “in there homes” is also an inaccurate phrase. “A lot of issues” and “not working properly” are understandable but general. Choose precise, formal expressions such as “the streetlight is out of order,” “pedestrians,” and “poor visibility,” and check spelling carefully. A wider set of accurate terms would help you explain the problem and its effects more clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and a longer sentence explaining consequences, but control is uneven. Errors in sentence structure and verb forms include “I am live in newton area” and “car drivers are not see that holes.” There are also problems with agreement and articles in “a streetlights,” and the long sentence beginning “at the night time” contains several clauses joined without clear punctuation. These errors sometimes make the intended meaning harder to follow. Practise accurate basic patterns first—for example, “I live in the Newton area” and “drivers cannot see the potholes”—then build longer sentences using clear clause boundaries. Consistent capitalisation and full stops would also improve readability.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.