Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-11
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 6.0)
Dear Smith,
I am writing to bring an issue to your attention regarding my upstairs neighbour's apartment. For the past week, I have noticed there is a lot of noise coming from the upstairs apartment, such as shifting furniture or loud music.
As you know, I am a student, and my exams are coming, so it's really difficult for me to concentrate on my studies, and this noise also bothers my sleep as well.
I kindly request that you please give them a specific time to do these kinds of things so they can't bother me, especially after 10.00 pm
thanks for your understanding and cooperation. I hope we can resolve this matter easily.
Kind regards,
Amanpreet kaur
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
You address the main situation, its effect on you, and a possible solution: you mention noise from furniture and music, explain that exams make concentration important, and ask for quiet after 10 p.m. However, the task is only partially developed. The letter is addressed to “Smith,” but it is unclear whether Smith is the neighbour or someone being asked to contact the neighbour; “give them a specific time” suggests a third party, which weakens the purpose and clarity of your request. The proposed solution also needs more detail, such as asking the neighbour directly to keep music and furniture-moving to reasonable hours. The response is 32 words below the required minimum, so there is limited space to develop the points fully.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The ideas follow a sensible order: you introduce the noise, explain its impact, and then make a request. Linking phrases such as “As you know” and “so” help connect the reason to its effect, and the closing is appropriate for a letter. This gives the response a coherent overall arrangement. To make the progression clearer and more polished, use separate paragraphs for the situation, its consequences, and your suggested solution. The reference in “give them a specific time” is also unclear because the reader may not know who “them” refers to. A more direct request to the neighbour would improve cohesion and make the letter’s purpose easier to follow.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
You use adequate vocabulary to communicate the issue, including “shifting furniture,” “loud music,” “concentrate on my studies,” and “cooperation.” These phrases make the situation and its impact understandable. There is some attempt at more specific language, but a few choices are imprecise or awkward: “give them a specific time to do these kinds of things” does not clearly express the intended request, and “bothers my sleep” is less natural than a phrase such as “disrupts my sleep.” The vocabulary is sufficient for this familiar topic, but greater precision and more natural collocations would make the letter sound more fluent and appropriately formal.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, and the main meaning remains clear. For example, “As you know, I am a student, and my exams are coming, so it’s really difficult for me to concentrate” combines several related ideas successfully. Some grammatical and punctuation issues remain. The sentence beginning “I kindly request” is long and would be clearer if divided or punctuated more carefully; the final request also needs a full stop. In “this noise also bothers my sleep as well,” the combination of “also” and “as well” is redundant, and the sentence structure is awkward. More controlled sentence boundaries and a wider range of accurately formed requests would strengthen the letter.
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