Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-19

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 8.0)

Dear Neighbour,

I am writing to ask if you could please keep the noise from your apartment down, especially during the evening and early morning. Recently, I have frequently heard loud footsteps, furniture being moved, and music coming from upstairs.

Unfortunately, the noise has become quite difficult for me. It often wakes me up at night and makes it hard for me to concentrate when I am working or relaxing at home. As our building is quite small, sound travels easily between apartments.

Would you mind keeping the volume of music, games you play and television lower and avoiding moving furniture or making loud noises late at night? I would really appreciate it if you could keep the noise to a minimum after 10 p.m.

I hope you understand my situation, and I am sure we can find a solution that works for both of us.

Yours sincerely,

A Neighbour

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly describe the situation regarding the noise, explain the negative impact on your sleep and work, and propose a reasonable solution. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a neighbour, maintaining a polite yet firm stance. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the letter is clear from the outset. You have fully satisfied the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organised with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose: the introduction states the problem, the body explains the impact, and the conclusion offers a solution. You use cohesive devices effectively, such as 'Unfortunately', 'As our building is quite small', and 'I would really appreciate it if'. The paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to the overall readability of the text. The flow is smooth and natural throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for this task. Phrases like 'frequently bothered', 'sound travels easily', and 'find a solution that works for both of us' are natural and accurate. While the vocabulary is functional and clear, it remains somewhat standard. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate more precise or sophisticated collocations to describe the noise or the impact, such as 'persistent disturbance' or 'disruptive behaviour'. However, the current range is sufficient and error-free.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

Your grammar is highly accurate, with a variety of sentence structures used correctly. You successfully employ complex sentences, such as 'I am writing to ask if you could please keep the noise from your apartment down' and 'I would really appreciate it if you could keep the noise to a minimum after 10 p.m.' Punctuation is used correctly throughout, and there are no noticeable errors in tense or subject-verb agreement. The writing is fluent and error-free, reflecting a high level of control.

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

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