Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-17
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 Ahmer, how are you? i hope you are doing well.right now i am facing one problem thats why i am going to write a letter to you and need you help regarding my problem.i lived in your neighbour's apartment.i want to share a issue with you most of the time at the late night i disturb the noise from your home i was totaly involve with my studies that time and suddenly too much noise i heared and disturb me so much. However,my final exam are going to started next week i have to focused more on my studiess,so this situation give me problem taking right now,i hope you understand my point of view and cooprate with me for this issue,secondly i have a suggestion for you if you accept it for my concern.if you close your door windoes at night time it maybe good for my attention for studies and future.i will be waiting for your positive response. Yours faithfuly, Maham Ali
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student covers all parts of the bullet points required in the task prompt. The letter begins by describing the situation of being disturbed by the noise from the upstairs neighbour, Ahmer. It then clearly explains why this is a problem, noting that final exams are approaching next week and quiet concentration is required for studying. Finally, a practical solution is suggested, which is closing doors and windows at night. Although the tone and register are somewhat informal and conversational rather than standard semi-formal, the purpose of the letter is completely fulfilled, and the ideas are appropriately extended and supported for a General Training Task 1 response, earning a band score of 6.5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The letter demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement, although the paragraphing is very limited, with the text compressed into two dense blocks rather than properly spaced paragraphs. The progression of ideas is generally clear as it moves from the greeting and introduction of the problem to the impact on studies and the suggested solution. Cohesive devices are used, but they are sometimes basic or mechanical, and punctuation issues—such as missing spaces after periods and commas (e.g., 'well.right now' and 'problem.i lived')—disrupt the flow and make referencing occasionally strained. Overall, the organizational structure meets the criteria for Band 5.5.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student displays an adequate vocabulary range for the task, attempting words related to the context such as 'neighbour's apartment', 'concentration', and 'positive response'. However, there are numerous lexical inaccuracies and word-choice errors, such as saying 'i disturb the noise' instead of 'i am disturbed by the noise', and writing 'studiess' with a spelling error. Phrases like 'give me problem taking right now' are awkward and unnatural. The range of vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main points, but the frequent errors in word choice and spelling place it firmly at Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting complex structures through conditional clauses like 'if you close your door windoes at night time it maybe good for my attention'. However, grammatical accuracy is weak. There are frequent run-on sentences, comma splices, and basic tense or preposition errors (e.g., 'i lived in your neighbour's apartment' instead of 'live', 'my final exam are going to started' instead of 'exams are going to start'). Punctuation is a major issue throughout the text, with spaces routinely omitted after terminal punctuation. Because these errors frequently cause strain and difficulty for the reader, a band score of 5.0 is appropriate.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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