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 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)

Hi dear

I am writing to express my concern regarding the exceeding problem of noise day by day from your house. I am living the same apartment but cannot bother with this problem anymore. As I am working from morning to evening so, I have only time to study at night and to prepare for my final exams.

However i have experienced many problems during that time as you always start to listen to music after 6 pm and after one or two days you start party with so many friend. The another problem is this is really small apartment and you close there stairs by sitting here and there , that ultimately disturb to all

I would be very grateful if u understood my problems and start to do anything by keeping another neighbours into consideration. I kindly request to u do not exceed the voice of your music so that I can study without any problems.

Thank you for your time and consideration

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: describing the noise, explaining the impact on your studies, and suggesting a solution. However, the tone is inconsistent and occasionally aggressive, such as 'cannot bother with this problem anymore,' which is not appropriate for a formal or semi-formal letter to a neighbour. The ideas are relevant, but the development is somewhat limited by the informal and slightly accusatory language used. To reach a higher band, ensure the tone remains polite and constructive throughout, as this is essential for effective communication in a letter-writing task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the flow of ideas. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite limited and sometimes mechanical. For example, the transition 'However i have experienced' is used awkwardly, and there is a lack of linking words to connect the sentences smoothly. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'The another problem is this is really small apartment,' which makes the progression of ideas feel disjointed. Improving the variety of linking phrases would significantly enhance the logical flow of the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several instances of unnatural phrasing, such as 'exceeding problem of noise' instead of 'excessive noise' and 'close there stairs' which is unclear. The use of 'u' instead of 'you' is inappropriate for a formal letter. While the message is understandable, the range of vocabulary is limited, and there are noticeable errors in word choice and collocation that occasionally hinder the professional tone required for this task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The writing contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex sentences, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include missing articles ('the' small apartment), incorrect verb forms ('start party' instead of 'start a party'), and punctuation errors, such as the lack of capitalisation for 'i'. Subject-verb agreement is also inconsistent, for example, 'that ultimately disturb to all.' These errors are frequent and sometimes make the sentences difficult to parse. To improve, focus on basic sentence structure, correct verb tenses, and consistent use of articles.

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

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