Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-03

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You have a problem in your apartment that needs repairs.

Write a letter to the building manager. In your letter
• describe the problem.
• say what you think should be done about it.
• ask the building manager to visit your apartment to see the problem.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear _________,

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Dear Mr. Peter,

I hope you are well. I am writing this letter to discuss the problem about the leakage in my front balcony since rain has started this season. Which damaged my swing which I recently bought.

I believe the main cause of the leakage is the old drainage structure of the building. Therefore, I suggest you to take a meeting of society members to replace a drainage system with latest models. Our neighbor society has been fully renovated, so we can ask them for a help to share contacts of trustable contractors too.

I suggest you to visit my apartment and inspect the origins of leakage and the whole problem and capture a pictures and videos to show them in a society meeting and building dealers.

I request you to take necessary action as soon as possible.

Waiting for your response.

Best regards,

Mark

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter covers all three bullet points: the problem is described, a solution is proposed, and a request for a visit is made. However, the response is slightly under the 150-word minimum, which impacts the development of ideas. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, though the suggestion to hold a society meeting to replace the entire building's drainage system is perhaps a bit ambitious for a simple apartment repair request. To improve, ensure you expand on the impact of the problem and provide a more focused, realistic call to action. The under-length penalty is applied here as the response falls short of the required word count.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of the complaint. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and limited. For example, the transition 'Which damaged my swing' is a sentence fragment that disrupts the flow. Additionally, the connection between the leakage and the suggestion to renovate the entire society is a bit abrupt. Using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in light of this') would improve the overall cohesion and make the argument more persuasive.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. Phrases like 'take a meeting' and 'ask them for a help' are non-standard collocations that sound unnatural. The term 'trustable' is also less common than 'reliable' or 'reputable'. While the message is clear, the lexical range is limited to basic, functional language. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing. Expanding your vocabulary related to maintenance and formal correspondence will significantly enhance your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The letter contains several grammatical errors that affect the quality of the writing. There are issues with sentence structure, such as the fragment 'Which damaged my swing...' and the incorrect use of the article in 'replace a drainage system'. Additionally, 'capture a pictures' contains a pluralization error. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. You should focus on subject-verb agreement, proper article usage, and ensuring that every sentence has a clear subject and verb to avoid fragments.

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