Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Predictions Nov 2026 · 2026-11-14

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You take local buses to get to work in Westbridge. Your journey usually starts at the Central Market stop at about 8.00 a.m., and lately you have found it hard to count on the buses. Write a letter to the director of the local bus service and tell them about the problems you are facing.

Write a letter to the director of the local bus service. In your letter

• describe the problems you have experienced, including buses that are often late and overcrowded
• explain how these problems affect your daily routine
• suggest changes the bus service could make to improve the situation

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 the problems regarding local bus service. I have to deal with them on my daily basis.

I experienced main problem is, the bus arriving time is at 8 am and from the past few days, it is arriving at 8:30 and also when i asked the driver about the issue, they do not respond.

I work in a hospital as a physician and I have to deal with so many emergencies and critical cases. I always reached late at the hospital. Most importantly, I also recieved half salary because I was arrived late most of the days.

I would like to request you that please change the bus or apply new buses for this route. It is not only my issue but it also bother other local residents. Because everyone has to go offices or schools.

I hope you will resolve this issue as soon as possible. I look forward to hear from you.

Thank you,

Yours faithfully,

Rajandeep Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address the main situation and explain that buses are late, that this affects your work at a hospital, and that you want the service to add or change buses. However, the task asks you to describe both late and overcrowded buses, and overcrowding is not mentioned. The effect on your routine is relevant, especially arriving late and losing part of your salary, but the consequences could be explained more clearly. Your proposed solution is also limited: adding buses is useful, but you could specify more frequent services at peak times or measures to manage crowding. The purpose is clear, though the letter would address the task more fully with these missing details and more developed suggestions.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall arrangement: you introduce the complaint, describe the delay, explain its effect, and make a request. Paragraph breaks help the reader follow these stages, and phrases such as “Most importantly” and “I hope” signal emphasis and closure. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent organisation and shows some features of stronger progression. However, links between ideas are occasionally awkward or unclear, particularly in “I experienced main problem is” and “Because everyone has to go offices or schools.” The sequence would be smoother if you grouped the service problems together and then explained their consequences before presenting specific recommendations. Use linking phrases to show cause and effect more precisely.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the complaint, with relevant terms such as “emergencies,” “critical cases,” “local residents,” and “route.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are noticeably inaccurate, which makes parts of the letter less natural. For example, “on my daily basis” is not the usual expression, and “change the bus” does not clearly convey the service improvement you want. “Bother other local residents” is also less appropriate in this formal context. Spelling errors such as “recieved” further reduce accuracy. Aim for precise transport and complaint vocabulary, and check common word combinations and spelling before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some longer sentences to explain the situation and its consequences, but the range of structures is limited and errors occur frequently. For example, “I experienced main problem is” has an incomplete grammatical construction, while “I always reached late” uses an unsuitable verb form. The sentence “I also recieved half salary because I was arrived late” contains problems with articles and verb structure. Capitalisation is inconsistent in “i,” and punctuation around the first description of the delay is awkward. These errors sometimes make the reader pause, although the main message remains understandable. Practise forming accurate past and present-tense sentences, and use simpler structures when you are unsure.

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

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