Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-19

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 Sir,

I am writing to express my concern about my apartment's heating system. As from last one week it has problem. Sometimes it turns off automatically as a result temperature of whole unit has decreased in this cold weather.

I believe this is an old model of furnish and it is about fifteen years old. Usually life spam of furnish are ten years and experts advice to change it after one decades. I think it is need to be changed. I remember last year we repaired it but this year we are facing same problem.

I would like that you could come and see it's condition and make appropriate decision regarding this either to repair or replace it.

I hope you could understand our problem and take prompt action on this matter. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Jag

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter covers all three bullet points: describing the problem, suggesting a solution, and requesting a visit. However, the response is under the 150-word minimum, which negatively impacts the task achievement score. While the ideas are relevant, the development is somewhat limited due to the brevity. To improve, you should expand on the impact of the heating failure—for example, by mentioning how it affects your daily routine or health—to ensure the letter is sufficiently detailed and meets the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. The progression of ideas is generally easy to follow. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat basic and occasionally mechanical. For instance, the transition between the description of the problem and the proposed solution could be smoother. Using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'given these circumstances') would help improve the flow and connectivity between your sentences and paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to communicate your message, but there are several inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'furnish' is used incorrectly instead of 'furnace' or 'heating unit', and 'life spam' should be 'lifespan'. Additionally, 'after one decades' is grammatically incorrect. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise terminology related to home maintenance and ensure that your collocations are natural. Expanding your vocabulary to include more sophisticated alternatives for common words will also enhance your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'As from last one week it has problem' (incorrect tense and article usage) and 'I think it is need to be changed' (incorrect passive construction). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the frequency of errors in basic sentence construction prevents a higher score. You should focus on subject-verb agreement, correct tense usage for ongoing situations, and the proper formation of passive voice structures.

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

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