Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-25

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You have rented a house by a lake for the summer.

Write a letter to a friend. In your letter
• describe the house.
• describe how you are spending your time there.
• invite your friend to come and visit.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ____

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Dear Noor,

It's been a long time since we last spoke. I am writing you letter. I rented a house beside a lake, which is good environment in my home. This house has two bedroom, a washroom, open kitchen, and attached with pretty hall. Moreover, one thing is small garden, which I like too much because I love gardening.

Furthemore, I am explaining how I spend my precious time there because I love water bodies like: lake, sea, and ocean. So I rented a house nearby lake only for summer time. Everyday I sit by lake in the evening time with this I relaxed my mind. Afterthat I am doing gardening, which puts positive impact on mind. As well while doing cooking I played songs.

So I invited to you just because of my house tour. After visiting my house we can spend quality of time together.

Lots of love,

Madhu Bala

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: describing the house, explaining how time is spent, and inviting the friend. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the description of the house is a list of features ('two bedroom', 'washroom') rather than a descriptive narrative. The invitation is also quite abrupt ('I invited to you just because of my house tour'). While the task requirements are met, the tone is not consistently appropriate for a letter to a friend, and the ideas lack the depth required for a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. Phrases like 'Afterthat' (should be 'After that') and 'As well while doing cooking' feel disjointed. The transition between ideas is sometimes abrupt, particularly in the second paragraph where the shift from describing the lake to gardening and then to cooking feels like a list of unrelated activities rather than a cohesive flow of information.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is basic and repetitive. There are several issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'good environment in my home' (likely meaning 'in my hometown' or 'a nice setting') and 'attached with pretty hall'. The phrase 'quality of time' is also used incorrectly; the standard collocation is 'quality time'. While the meaning is generally clear, the range of vocabulary is limited, and the errors in word choice are noticeable throughout the text.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading. Examples include 'I am writing you letter' (missing article), 'two bedroom' (should be plural 'bedrooms'), 'nearby lake' (missing article), and 'I played songs' (tense inconsistency). Sentence structures are mostly simple, and attempts at more complex sentences often result in errors, such as 'I invited to you just because of my house tour'. The control of basic grammar is inconsistent.

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

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