Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-11-03

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 5.0)

Dear Mr. Mark,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to you in order to find a proper solution for an irritating issue.

Moving to my new apartment, I was elated to know about having my own parking space. Thus, I do not struggle with parking everyday. However, my schedule has been changed. As for now, I work on night shifts instead of regular morning ones. Furthermore, everyday since I find Mr. Tom's car on my parking lot so I have to search for a new place insstead of mine.

As I mentioned, I work in a company at night shifts. Therefore, I always get back home at around 11.00 Pm being exhausted, I wish I could park my car as soon as possible. Moreover, I feel

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You introduce the parking problem and explain that Mr. Tom’s car is in your assigned space, forcing you to look elsewhere. You also give a relevant reason it bothers you: you return around 11 p.m. exhausted and want to park quickly. However, the letter is incomplete: it stops at “Moreover, I feel” and does not suggest what the landlord could do, so one required part is missing and the explanation is only partly developed. The response also contains 130 words, below the required 150. To address the task more fully, finish the explanation and request a practical measure, such as reminding residents to use only their allocated spaces or marking the spaces clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The ideas follow a generally understandable order: you introduce the issue, describe the change in your work schedule, and explain why finding parking late at night is inconvenient. Linking expressions such as “However,” “Furthermore,” and “Therefore” help show relationships between points. At the same time, the response is presented as one continuous block, and the final sentence is unfinished, so the progression does not reach a clear conclusion or request. Some links are also repetitive or do not connect ideas smoothly. Use separate paragraphs for the situation, its impact, and your proposed solution, then end with a clear request and polite closing. This would make the letter’s organisation more complete and easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of vocabulary for a complaint letter, including “irritating issue,” “elated,” “exhausted,” and “solution.” These choices communicate your feelings and the practical problem, and the meaning is generally clear. However, some expressions are unnatural or imprecise, such as “on my parking lot” and “work in a company at night shifts”; “everyday” is also used where the intended meaning is “every day.” The spelling error “insstead” is noticeable. Aim for more natural collocations and check spelling: for example, say “in my assigned parking space” and “I work night shifts.” More precise wording would make the complaint sound clearer and more appropriately formal.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including “However, my schedule has been changed” and the sentence beginning “As for now.” The reader can understand the main situation, but errors in sentence construction and punctuation sometimes make the writing awkward. For example, “As I mentioned, I work in a company at night shifts” has an unclear grammatical pattern, while “at around 11.00 Pm being exhausted” joins ideas without the punctuation or structure needed. The final “Moreover, I feel” is incomplete. Practise forming complete sentences with clear subjects and verbs, and use punctuation to separate introductory phrases from the main clause. This will improve control while retaining your attempts at complex structures.

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

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