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 Mr. John,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to inform you about my apartment.

Around two days ago when I was cooking food for myself in my kitchen I saw flying cockroaches which make me highly uncomfortable and make me sick too.

I want to request you regarding this issue that my apartment needs deep cleaning and also requires to replaces the older furniture. Moreover, it does not have adequate lighting system too. It would also be great if you fix that too.

However, whenever you have time please visit the building check everything by yourself and, if you need me i will be there too. In addition to that, when you in the building just make sure you check each and everything

thank you so much for your help

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: describing the problem, suggesting solutions, 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, they are somewhat underdeveloped. For instance, the request for 'deep cleaning' and 'replacing furniture' is a bit abrupt and lacks the necessary polite framing expected in a formal letter. To improve, you should expand on the impact of the issues and provide more specific details about the apartment's condition to ensure the letter meets the length requirement and demonstrates a more professional tone.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into short paragraphs, but the flow between ideas is somewhat mechanical. The use of cohesive devices is limited; for example, 'Moreover' and 'In addition to that' are used, but the transitions between the problem description and the request for a visit feel disjointed. The paragraphing is present but could be more effectively utilized to separate the problem from the proposed solutions and the call to action. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus that logically leads to the next.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. Phrases like 'cooking food for myself' and 'make me sick' are quite basic. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'adequate lighting system too' and 'fix that too'. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to property management and maintenance, such as 'infestation', 'sanitation', or 'rectify'. Avoid repeating simple words like 'too' at the end of sentences, as this limits the range of your expression.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are several grammatical errors that affect the clarity of the message. Examples include 'requires to replaces' (should be 'requires replacing'), 'when you in the building' (missing 'are'), and 'check each and everything' (slightly unnatural phrasing). The sentence structures are mostly simple, with limited attempts at complex sentences. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with missing commas in complex sentences. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of auxiliary verbs. Practicing the construction of complex sentences using relative clauses or conditional structures would also help improve your range.

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

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