Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-09

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You live in a small apartment building. You are frequently bothered by noise from your upstairs neighbour's apartment.

Write a letter to your neighbour. In your letter
• describe the situation.
• explain why it is a problem for you.
• suggest a solution.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear _________,

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Dear Sir,

I am writing to bring your attention on ongoing issue concerning the level of noise coming from your apartment. it always increase in night time.

As I am a student and I always study till late night because my exams are coming next month. Loud music hinder my preparation and I could not do focus on my study. In addition to this, my roommate sleeps early since he wakes up early in the morning. Due to loud noise of music he faces problem.

I would appreciate it if you could either reduce the voice of music or could change the place of music player from where volume can reduce.

I hope you would understand my problem and take appropriate steps to combat this issue.

Yours sincerely,

Jag

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: describing the noise, explaining the impact, and suggesting a solution. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which limits the development of your ideas. While the purpose of the letter is clear, the brevity prevents you from fully expanding on the situation or providing a more nuanced tone. To improve, ensure you elaborate on your points—for example, by describing the specific types of noise or the duration of the problem—to meet the length requirement and demonstrate a more thorough engagement with the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your points. You use basic cohesive devices like 'In addition to this' and 'Due to', which provide some structure. However, the flow is somewhat mechanical, and the transition between the introduction and the body could be smoother. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, unified focus. The overall progression of ideas is logical, but the limited length makes the structure feel slightly underdeveloped.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your message clearly. You use some relevant terms such as 'ongoing issue', 'preparation', and 'appropriate steps'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'reduce the voice of music' (should be 'volume') and 'change the place of music player' (should be 'move the music player'). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and avoid basic phrasing to demonstrate a more flexible command of the language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally affect clarity. For example, 'I am writing to bring your attention on ongoing issue' (missing articles and incorrect preposition), 'it always increase in night time' (subject-verb agreement and article error), and 'I could not do focus' (incorrect verb form). While your meaning is generally understandable, these recurring errors in basic grammar and sentence construction prevent a higher score. Focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement, article usage, and correct prepositional phrases.

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

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