Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-26

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 inform to that there is a water issue in apartment.

First of all I would like to inform you that the water get stored in lobby area when there was a rainy days due to my lots things life sofa as well as table and some others important things get destroyed.

In addition to this I am not able to sit and enjoy with my family in a lobby due to this water problem . This is important because after 1 week is my birthday I invited my friends and guests.

Finally, I would appreciate it if you could take action on this problem as soon as possible because I am facing very problems due to this water shortage in lobby area .

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

Your Faithfully

Nikhil Birla

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points: describing the problem, suggesting a solution, and requesting a visit. However, the response is slightly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which impacts the overall task completion. While the ideas are relevant, they are somewhat underdeveloped. For instance, you mention that your belongings were destroyed, but you do not specify what action you want the manager to take beyond 'take action'. Providing a more specific request, such as requesting a professional inspection or repair, would have improved the development of your ideas. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, though the brevity limits the depth of the communication.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some basic cohesive devices like 'First of all', 'In addition to this', and 'Finally' to signal the progression of your points. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'due to my lots things life sofa'. The logical progression is present, but the transitions could be smoother and more varied to achieve a higher band score. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different requirements of the task.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. There are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'water get stored' instead of 'water accumulates' and 'very problems' instead of 'serious problems'. The phrase 'lots things life sofa' is also grammatically and lexically confusing. While you successfully communicate the main points, the range of vocabulary is limited, and there is little evidence of less common or more precise lexical items. To improve, focus on using more accurate collocations and avoiding repetitive or simplistic phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The letter contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex sentences, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'I am writing to inform to that', 'when there was a rainy days', and 'after 1 week is my birthday I invited my friends'. These errors involve subject-verb agreement, preposition usage, and tense consistency. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic sentence structure and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would significantly enhance the accuracy of your writing.

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