Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-09

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 4.5)

dear landlord

i want to inform you the problem about a parking lot in our apartment building

Everyday, i return to house from work. i have to difficult to park the car because i all the slots are occupied and i have to spend extra tine to find parking for my car.

This is situation is frustrating for me because i tried for my work and i want to get quickly home.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You identify the central problem: the parking spaces are occupied when you return from work, and you explain that this is frustrating because you want to get home quickly. However, the response addresses the task only partially: it does not suggest what the landlord could do, and the reason the situation bothers you is only briefly explained. The letter is also substantially below the required 150 words, so there is not enough development to cover all three points. Add a specific request, such as assigning spaces to residents or introducing permits, and explain the practical impact—for example, how long you wait or whether you arrive home late.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The ideas are presented in a basic, understandable order: you introduce the parking problem, describe what happens after work, and state that it is frustrating. This gives the reader a simple progression. However, the letter is very short and has no clear paragraph structure or closing, so it does not yet feel like a complete formal letter. The link between the situation and its effect could also be made clearer. Develop the response in separate paragraphs—for example, one describing the problem, one explaining its impact, and one making your request—and use linking phrases such as “As a result” or “Could you please consider” to guide the reader.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant basic vocabulary, including “parking lot,” “slots,” “occupied,” and “frustrating,” so the main issue is understandable. The range is limited, however, and several word choices or forms are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “return to house,” “extra tine,” and “tried for my work.” These errors make parts of the letter less clear and reduce precision. Build a small set of useful phrases for this situation, such as “return home,” “parking spaces are full,” “spend extra time looking for a space,” and “after a tiring day at work.” Check spelling and choose expressions that fit the intended meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt to communicate using simple sentences and a longer sentence joined with “because,” which helps convey the basic sequence of events. However, grammatical control is inconsistent, and errors sometimes make the meaning difficult to follow. For example, “i have to difficult to park” needs a grammatical construction such as “I find it difficult to park,” while “This is situation is frustrating” contains an unnecessary “is.” Capitalisation and sentence punctuation are also inconsistent. Practise accurate simple sentence patterns first, then combine them with clauses using “because” and “when.” For instance: “When I get home from work, I often find that all the spaces are occupied.”

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

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