Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-23

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 Sir,

I am writing this letter to complain about the limited parking garage provided for us because every day I arrive home from work it is always unusual to find an empty space to park my car.

In all honesty, the space left for the parking is very small for we the tenants. The situation is always tough for each evening I got back for work. The garage would have filled up with other co-tenants' cars that I always park my car outside the gate.

The reason why this situation gives me headache is that my car is not safe outside the gate. Two days ago, one of my neighbor's car was vandalized.

I want to suggest to you demolish the uncompleted building at the back side

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: describing the situation, explaining the impact, and suggesting a solution. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum, which limits the development of your ideas. The final sentence is incomplete, cutting off abruptly, which prevents a full resolution of the task. To improve, ensure you expand on your suggestions and provide a complete, well-rounded argument. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, but the lack of length and the unfinished conclusion significantly impact the overall task achievement score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into short paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat limited and mechanical. For example, 'In all honesty' is a good attempt at a transition, but the flow between sentences is occasionally disjointed. The abrupt ending makes the final paragraph incoherent as it lacks a concluding thought or a proper sign-off. To improve, use a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in addition') to connect your ideas more fluidly and ensure your letter has a clear, logical conclusion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to communicate your message, such as 'vandalized' and 'limited parking garage'. However, there are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'it is always unusual to find an empty space' (which is confusing; you likely meant 'difficult') and 'gives me headache' (should be 'gives me a headache'). The vocabulary is generally functional but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. Focus on learning common collocations related to formal complaints to sound more natural and professional.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'for we the tenants' (should be 'for us tenants'), 'each evening I got back for work' (should be 'get back from work'), and 'one of my neighbor's car' (should be 'neighbors' cars'). These errors are noticeable and occasionally distract the reader. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of control over basic grammar and the incomplete final sentence prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and correct preposition usage.

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

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