Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Predictions Nov 2026 · 2026-11-10

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 5.5)

Dear Sir,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to inform you about streetlights. They are not working properly.

The street number is 6 and house number is 245 from where the attachment of light starts. There are six lights in my street, only one give function, apart from one all are damaged. A week ago, they were working properly, but now they are not working.

At night, it affects people live, as there are grocery store and medicall facilities are available. But at late night, in the darkness individuals face difficulty while going to stores. Children playing in the street, but right now they cannot able to play. Because they have fear.

I believe you will resolve this issue as soon as possible. Please arrange electrician or if you are willing to visit our street then you can.

I will be very thankful to you. I am waiting for your response.

Thank you,

Yours faithfully,

Rajandeep Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address all three requested points: you identify the street and the lights, explain the difficulties for people using the area at night, and ask the council to arrange a repair. The details about nearby shops and facilities, and children being unable to play, make the impact relevant. The location is not fully precise, however: “The street number is 6 and house number is 245” is difficult to interpret, and it is unclear whether one light works or all but one are damaged. The request to “arrange electrician” is clear in purpose but could specify that the council should inspect and repair the faulty lights. The response covers the task well overall, while some details need clearer explanation and development.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter follows a sensible overall order: it introduces the problem, gives location and condition details, describes the effects, and ends with a request and polite closing. Paragraphing helps separate these functions. However, some links between ideas are abrupt or unclear. For example, “At night, it affects people live” does not clearly connect the problem to the people affected, and the sequence “Children playing in the street, but right now they cannot able to play. Because they have fear” feels fragmented. Use complete sentences and clearer transitions to show cause and effect, such as explaining that poor visibility makes the street difficult to use and prevents children from playing safely. This would make the progression smoother and reduce the impression of disconnected points.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant vocabulary for the situation, including “streetlights,” “darkness,” “electrician,” and “facilities,” so the main topic is understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which sometimes makes the message difficult to interpret. “Only one give function” is not a natural way to describe a working light, while “medicall facilities” contains a spelling error and is imprecise. “People live” also does not express the intended meaning clearly. Aim for precise, conventional phrases such as “only one is working,” “nearby shops and medical facilities,” and “residents and pedestrians.” Greater accuracy and variety in these expressions would make the letter more natural and professional.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more developed sentences, including “A week ago, they were working properly, but now they are not working,” and the letter’s meaning is generally recoverable. However, errors in sentence structure, verb forms, and agreement occur often enough to affect clarity. For example, “There are six lights in my street, only one give function” needs a clearer sentence structure and subject–verb agreement; “people live” is missing a suitable relative construction, and “they cannot able to play” combines incompatible verb forms. The fragment “Because they have fear” should be joined to the preceding sentence. Practise building complete clauses and checking verb forms and agreement, while retaining your attempts to connect ideas in longer sentences.

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

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