Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-11

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You live in a small apartment building with a parking lot in back, and you often cannot find an empty parking space when you get home from work.

Write a letter to your landlord. In your letter
• describe the situation.
• explain why it bothers you.
• suggest something the landlord could do to solve the problem.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ____

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Dear David,

I hope this letter finds you well.

I am writing this letter to you regarding my parking problem As you may know that i have been living in this apartment for past 7 years and i always paid my rent on time as a good tenant i have all the rights to taking all the amenities.

However, since past 3 days i can not find empty space for my car park some one park his car on my parking spot which is reserved by me and i am the one who pays 350 $ extra for that and when i come from night shift i always park my car on the streets which i am afraid to stolen or damaged which bothers me the most because this car is expensive and i love this car because i purchased this from my own money.

As a landlord you have all the to access the cameras in building , I am requesting you to find out who is the person to park his car in my parking spot and tell him to remove it because it accessed by your tenant.

I hope you will be able to solve this issue .

Yours sincerely,

Tom

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: the situation is described, the impact is explained, and a solution is proposed. However, the tone is somewhat aggressive and informal for a letter to a landlord. For example, the phrase 'I have all the rights to taking all the amenities' is confrontational rather than professional. While the task is addressed, the development of ideas is slightly hampered by the informal tone and some lack of clarity regarding the specific request for the landlord's intervention. To improve, ensure the tone remains polite and professional throughout, as this is expected in formal correspondence.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes mechanical. For instance, the transition 'However, since past 3 days' is grammatically awkward and disrupts the flow. There is a lack of varied linking words to connect ideas smoothly. The sentences are often run-on, such as the second paragraph, which contains multiple ideas joined by 'and' rather than being separated into distinct, logical sentences. Improving the use of punctuation and transition signals would significantly enhance the overall flow and readability of the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'car park' instead of 'parking space', and 'afraid to stolen' instead of 'afraid it will be stolen'. The phrase 'purchased this from my own money' is slightly unnatural; 'bought with my own savings' would be more idiomatic. While the meaning is generally clear, the range of vocabulary is limited to basic, everyday language. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more precise collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, particularly with verb tenses, articles, and sentence structure. Examples include 'since past 3 days i can not find', 'who is the person to park his car', and 'it accessed by your tenant'. The misuse of 'i' instead of 'I' is a recurring issue. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar and punctuation prevents the text from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage would greatly improve the accuracy of your writing.

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

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