Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Dear Mr xcy,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to express, that i constant facing loud sound from your condo like loud music , children playing. I would like to request you, if you are not making frequent noise. As i am having cacophony because i am part time worker and university student.

While i am trying to study i can hear your loud noise which divert and i am not able to focus and i have test and other class activity every other day so before that i have to prepare for that. Due to sound sometimes i am not able to sleep and can't make it peace of mind that affect in my study and while on work as well.

I would suggest that please if you want to enjoy music please be respectful for others that, your nearby resident will not be in a trouble and for playing your kids in our community we have nice playground for children so they ca enjoy more.

So i hope so you understand my concern and situation and i would be very greatful.

re

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points: describing the noise, explaining the impact on your studies and sleep, and suggesting a solution. The tone is generally appropriate for a letter to a neighbour, although it occasionally feels a bit blunt. To reach a higher band, ensure your ideas are more fully developed. For example, instead of just mentioning 'loud music', you could specify the times of day this occurs to provide more context. The purpose of the letter is clear throughout, and the reader understands exactly what you are requesting.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your points. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate. For instance, the transition 'As i am having cacophony' is awkward and does not link the ideas effectively. Additionally, the phrase 'So i hope so' at the beginning of the final paragraph is a weak way to introduce a conclusion. Improving the variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in light of this') would help the flow of your writing significantly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message, but there are several instances of unnatural word choice and collocation errors. For example, 'constant facing loud sound' should be 'constantly facing loud noise', and 'make it peace of mind' is not a standard English idiom. The word 'cacophony' is a sophisticated choice, but it is used incorrectly in this context. Focusing on common collocations and ensuring you use words in their correct grammatical form will help improve your score in this area.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter, particularly with verb tenses and sentence structure. Examples include 'i constant facing' (should be 'I am constantly facing'), 'if you are not making frequent noise' (which does not clearly express your request), and 'your nearby resident will not be in a trouble'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing capital letters for 'I' and incorrect comma usage. While the meaning is generally clear, these errors occur frequently enough to cause some difficulty for the reader and prevent a higher band score.

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

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