Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-16

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 8.5)

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to bring to your attention an ongoing problem regarding the parking facilities at our apartment building.

For the past few months, I have frequently been unable to find an available parking space when I return home from work in the evening. Although the parking lot is intended for residents, many spaces appear to be occupied by visitors or vehicles that do not belong to tenants. As a result, I often have to park several blocks away from the building.

This situation is quite frustrating for several reasons. After a long day at work, it is inconvenient and time-consuming to search for a parking space. In addition, walking a long distance from my car to the apartment, particularly at night or during bad weather, can be both uncomfortable and unsafe. Since parking is one of the facilities included in my tenancy agreement, I believe residents should have reliable access to it.

To address this issue, I would suggest assigning numbered parking spaces to individual apartments or introducing a permit system for residents. This would help ensure that the parking lot is used only by authorized vehicles and would make parking much more convenient for tenants.

Thank you for considering this matter. I look forward to hearing about any measures that may be taken to improve the situation.

Yours faithfully,

Uroosa

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response fully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt in a natural and appropriate tone for a formal letter. You successfully describe the situation ('unable to find an available parking space'), explain why it bothers you ('inconvenient and time-consuming' and 'uncomfortable and unsafe'), and suggest concrete solutions ('assigning numbered parking spaces... or introducing a permit system'). The purpose of the letter is clear from the very beginning and sustained throughout. All ideas are well-extended and supported without any irrelevant digressions. The tone is polite yet firm, matching the requirement of writing to a landlord regarding a tenancy issue. Therefore, this performance meets all requirements for a high band descriptor.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

Your letter is exceptionally well-structured and logically sequenced. The progression of ideas is smooth, moving naturally from the introduction of the problem in the first two paragraphs, to the impact of the issue in the third paragraph, and finally to your suggested solutions in the fourth paragraph. Paragraphing is used very effectively, with each paragraph having a clear central theme. Cohesive devices such as 'Although', 'As a result', 'In addition', and 'To address this issue' are used accurately and flexibly to connect sentences and paragraphs without feeling mechanical. Referencing pronouns like 'this situation' and 'this would help' are clear and effortless to follow throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 8.0

You demonstrate a wide and flexible vocabulary suited to a formal context. Phrases such as 'bring to your attention', 'ongoing problem', 'tenancy agreement', and 'authorized vehicles' show natural control of collocation and style. Less common lexical items are used effectively and accurately. There are no spelling or word-choice errors. While the vocabulary is not overly academic, it is completely precise, natural, and entirely appropriate for a formal complaint/request letter to a landlord, satisfying the criteria for a strong performance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.5

Your writing displays a wide range of grammatical structures, including complex sentences featuring conditional, concessive, and participial clauses (e.g., 'Although the parking lot is intended for residents, many spaces appear to be occupied...', 'particularly at night or during bad weather'). The vast majority of your sentences are completely error-free, with only rare, minor slips avoided entirely. Control of punctuation, verb tenses, and agreement is consistently strong from start to finish. Communication is effortless and completely unimpeded by any grammatical flaws.

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