Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-08

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 Sir,

I am writing this letter to bring to your attention the hardship I have been facing since I moved into your apartment. This is the noise that I hear every evening and night. As you know, I am a student and part-time worker as well. Every day when I come back to my apartment, I find it so difficult to rest due to the music system upstairs, which is a 24 seven thing. I can not live in peace. Apart from this, they hold parties every day; that is why I am not able to concentrate on my studies. Moreover, it disturbs my sleep.

Lastly, I can only suggest that you should talk to them and let them know my situation, or else you can set some stringent house rules for them so that they can not disturb others.

I hope you will do the needful as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely,

Simranjeet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address the main points by describing repeated evening and night-time noise, explaining that it affects your rest, studies and sleep, and suggesting that the neighbour speak to the occupants or set house rules. These details make the complaint relevant and understandable. However, the situation is not fully clear: “since I moved into your apartment” sounds as though you moved into the neighbour’s home, and “they hold parties every day” does not identify who “they” are. The proposed solutions are also brief, with no specific request such as keeping music low after a certain hour. Clarifying who is responsible and developing a practical request would make the letter more complete and purposeful.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter follows a generally sensible order: it introduces the complaint, explains its effects, and ends with possible solutions and a polite closing. Linking expressions such as “Apart from this,” “Moreover,” and “Lastly” help signal the sequence. However, the response is presented as one main block, so the different functions of the letter are not clearly separated into paragraphs. Some connections feel mechanical, and “Lastly” introduces a suggestion rather than a final point in a developed sequence. The reference in “they hold parties” is also unclear, which interrupts the flow. Use separate paragraphs for the situation and its effects, then the requested action, and make references explicit to improve progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the complaint and its effects, including “concentrate on my studies,” “disturbs my sleep,” and “stringent house rules.” These phrases show some range beyond basic descriptions. However, several choices are awkward or imprecise for a neighbourly letter. “The hardship I have been facing” sounds overly formal, while “a 24 seven thing” is informal and unclear. “Do the needful” is also unnatural in this context, and “music system upstairs” could be expressed more precisely as loud music from the upstairs apartment. Aim for natural, polite wording and precise collocations; this will make the complaint sound both clearer and more appropriate to its audience.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more developed sentence forms, and most of the message remains easy to understand. For example, “As you know, I am a student and part-time worker as well” gives relevant background, while “that is why I am not able to concentrate on my studies” links cause and effect. Some grammatical and punctuation issues remain. In “since I moved into your apartment,” the possessive reference creates an unclear meaning; “since I moved into my apartment” would fit the intended situation. “I can not” should be written as “I cannot,” and the opening and closing punctuation should be consistent. Continue using varied sentence structures while checking these details for accuracy.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.