Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-27

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 neighbour,

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with the loud sounds that come from your apartment.

Actually, I am a student and have a significant amount of assignments, projects and presentations that are due. However, loud sounds that come from your apartment and it creates a lot of disturbance. As a result, I can not fully focus and concentrate on my study.

Furthermore, it has become a big problem for me due to study time. Few days ago, I was working on my assignment which was extremely important for me but it was not complete on time and missed my due. Therefore, I lose my final grade marks.

I would be delighted if you could reduce the sound of music and make it during at night. I hope you will understand my problem and cooperate with me. I look forward your prompt.

Your sincerely,

Jaspreet kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter covers all three bullet points: describing the noise, explaining the impact on your studies, and suggesting a solution. However, the response is slightly under the 150-word minimum, which impacts the overall task completion. While the ideas are relevant, the development is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation of the problem is repetitive, and the suggested solution is a bit vague. To improve, you should expand on the specific nature of the noise and provide a more detailed, polite suggestion for resolution to ensure the letter is fully developed and meets the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter follows a logical structure with a clear opening and closing. Paragraphing is used, though the paragraphs are quite short. You use some cohesive devices like 'Furthermore' and 'Therefore' to link ideas, but the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical. The referencing is generally clear, but the transition between the problem description and the impact on your studies could be smoother. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph develops a single, cohesive idea more thoroughly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, but it is somewhat basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'loud sounds' and 'big problem' are used, which are functional but lack precision. There are some minor collocation issues, such as 'lose my final grade marks' and 'make it during at night', which sound unnatural. To improve, try to incorporate more specific vocabulary related to noise complaints and academic pressure. Using more precise adjectives and verbs will help convey your message with greater impact and sophistication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are several grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading, such as 'loud sounds that come from your apartment and it creates a lot of disturbance' (a run-on/faulty coordination) and 'I look forward your prompt' (missing 'to' and a noun). There are also issues with article usage and verb tense consistency. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents a higher score. Focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and preposition usage.

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

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