Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-22

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 7.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to complain about the ongoing problem with parking spaces in our apartment building.

Recently, it has become very difficult to find an empty parking space when I return home from work. There are only a limited number of spaces in the parking lot, and they are often occupied by residents or their visitors. As a result, I sometimes have to wait for a long time or park my car far away from the building.

This situation is particularly frustrating because I usually arrive home tired after a long day at work. Having to search for a parking space every evening is inconvenient and can also make me late for other activities.

I would like to suggest that you assign one parking space to each apartment. You could also provide temporary parking permits for visitors and make sure that only residents and their guests use the parking area. I believe this would make the parking situation much more organised and convenient for everyone.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The student fully addresses all three bullet points required in the task instructions. First, the parking situation in the apartment building's rear lot is clearly described ("very difficult to find an empty parking space when I return home from work"). Second, the impact of the problem is explained logically and convincingly, noting that arriving home tired makes searching for a space inconvenient and potentially causes delays for other activities. Third, practical and appropriate solutions are suggested, including assigning one parking space per apartment and issuing temporary permits for visitors. The tone is appropriately formal and polite for a letter to a landlord. All parts of the prompt are well-developed and supported with relevant details, earning a solid band 8.0 for this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. The letter opens with a standard formal greeting and a clear statement of purpose. Each body paragraph addresses a distinct theme: the description of the problem, the reasons why it is bothersome, and finally the suggested solutions. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate these distinct ideas. Cohesive devices such as "Recently", "As a result", and "This situation" are used effectively to guide the reader through the text without being overly mechanical or intrusive. The logical sequencing and clear referencing throughout the letter warrant a strong band 8.0 for coherence and cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient and appropriate range of vocabulary for a general correspondence task. Phrases such as "ongoing problem", "limited number of spaces", "particularly frustrating", and "temporary parking permits" show a good degree of precision and natural collocation. The vocabulary is flexible enough to discuss the everyday issue clearly and formally. While there is an absence of exceptionally rare or sophisticated idiomatic lexical items, the word choice is consistently accurate and well-suited to the context. A few minor repetitive choices appear, but overall, the lexical resource comfortably meets the standard for a band 7.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The writer displays good control of grammatical structures, successfully blending simple and complex sentences. Examples of complex structures include subordinate clauses such as "when I return home from work" and conditional or relative constructions like "spaces in the parking lot, and they are often occupied..." The majority of sentences in the response are entirely error-free, with accurate punctuation and tense usage throughout. While the range of complex grammatical structures could be slightly broader to reach the highest bands, the current level of accuracy and control reflects solid band 7.5 performance, rounded to 7.0 for descriptor alignment.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.