Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-11-02

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 5.0)

Dear Raman,

My name is Jass. I live downstairs on floor 2 in same apartment with my family, where you live. I noticed strange loud music noise from your house.

Actually, I work from home. Due to this, I usually concentrate on my laptop regarding my work projects. From last few days, I am not only disturbing by excessive noise but also it cause of headache.

It would be grateful If you can volume down of your music device. I hope you will understand my situation.

Regards,

Jass

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the main situation—loud music from the upstairs apartment—and explain that you work from home and experience headaches. You also make a relevant request to lower the volume. However, the response addresses the task only minimally: the noise is described briefly, the effect on your work is not explained in detail, and the proposed solution is limited to turning the music down. The required minimum length is not met, which leaves little room to develop these points. To strengthen the letter, describe when or how often the noise occurs, explain how it disrupts calls or concentration, and suggest a practical arrangement, such as keeping music low during working hours.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter has a recognisable structure: it opens with a greeting, gives the situation and its effect, makes a request, and closes politely. The paragraph breaks help separate these functions, and “Actually” signals a move to the explanation. At this level, however, progression is basic and the links between ideas are limited. For example, the opening moves quickly from identifying yourself to mentioning the noise, while the reason the noise affects your work is only briefly connected. Develop a clearer sequence—identify the noise and its timing, explain its impact, then make a specific request—and use simple linking phrases such as “As a result” or “Would it be possible…” where they clarify relationships.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough basic vocabulary to communicate the central issue, including “loud music,” “work from home,” “excessive noise,” and “headache.” The tone is generally suitable for a neighbour, and the request is understandable. However, the range is limited, and several word combinations are unnatural or imprecise, such as “strange loud music noise,” “volume down,” and “regarding my work projects.” These choices make parts of the letter less fluent, even though the main meaning can be understood. Use more natural phrases such as “loud music coming from your apartment,” “turn the volume down,” and “concentrate on my work.” Adding precise terms for frequency or impact would also help you express the situation more clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You communicate the basic message using mostly short sentences, and the reader can follow the main points. There is an attempt at a longer structure in “I am not only disturbing by excessive noise but also it cause of headache,” but the verb forms and sentence construction are inaccurate. Other examples include “I live downstairs on floor 2 in same apartment” and “If you can volume down,” where articles, prepositions, and grammatical patterns need attention. The range of sentence structures is narrow, so practise combining simple ideas accurately before adding more complex forms. For example: “I live on the second floor of the same building, and the loud music from your apartment has been disturbing me for several days.” Check subject–verb agreement and sentence punctuation when editing.

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

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