Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-25

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 this letter toyou for some repair in my apartment. i am so concerned about water leakage from roof daily because of heavy rainfall.

my furniture is getting damage from this which is too costly for me.

i want you to call a plumber as soon as possible as so that he can check what repairing is needs to be done. i think beacuse of weather roofs are getting beacuse of water and it started leaking. also, in balcony wall is cracked and looks scary to stand in balcony as it can fall on someone.

It has been so long the repair has been done and you should come with plumber and have a look on apartment once and analyse what steps should be taken for this problem. please, do something soon as its not safe living there and i do not feel positivity in that home because of all these issues. i am waiting for your revert.

thank you

your sincerly

manisha

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: the problem is described, a solution is proposed, and a request for a visit is made. However, the development of these points is somewhat basic. For example, the description of the wall crack as 'scary' is informal and lacks the precision expected in a formal letter. While the purpose is clear, the tone is inconsistent, shifting between a formal request and a more conversational, emotive style. To reach a higher band, the ideas should be expanded with more professional language, and the tone should be consistently formal throughout the letter.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of the complaint. However, the use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes mechanical. Phrases like 'also, in balcony wall' and 'as so that' are awkward and disrupt the flow of the text. The transition between the description of the roof leak and the balcony issue is abrupt. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that sentences are connected more smoothly would significantly enhance the coherence of the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. There are several instances of word-choice errors, such as 'getting damage' (should be 'being damaged') and 'waiting for your revert' (should be 'waiting for your reply'). The phrasing is often repetitive, and the tone is not consistently appropriate for a formal letter to a building manager. Expanding your range of collocations and using more formal synonyms would improve your score in this area.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Issues include missing articles ('from roof', 'in balcony'), incorrect verb forms ('repairing is needs to be done'), and punctuation errors, such as the lack of capitalisation at the start of sentences. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic subject-verb agreement and correct sentence construction is essential.

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

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