Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-27

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 property manager,

I a informing to you about some damages happened recently in my rental property!

I hope you are getting some free time to visit my property within 1 to 2 days because as I rented your property, I found some broken furniture and drainage leaked recently, which disturb me while cooking as well as taking a shower.

As I signed in our rental agreement, there are mentioned that property manager should come urgently if any of the private property was found damaged after signing a lease. Thus, I hope you would have a time to look and get it repair as soon as possible.

However, as my working schedule is usually in the morning time, so you could come anytime after a evening 5 o'clock. So I can show you the specific damaged area in kitchen as well as in bathroom.

I would really appreciate, if you will solve my problem as soon as possible.

Yours faithfully,

Smit.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: describing the problem, suggesting a solution, and requesting a visit. However, the tone is somewhat inconsistent and occasionally informal, which is not ideal for a formal letter to a building manager. The ideas are clear, but the development is slightly repetitive. To improve, ensure the tone remains professional throughout and provide more specific details about the nature of the 'broken furniture' and 'drainage leak' to help the manager prepare for the visit.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of ideas. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and limited. For example, the transition 'However' is used incorrectly at the start of the fourth paragraph, as there is no contrast being made. Additionally, the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect the problem to the requested action more smoothly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and sophistication expected at higher bands. There are some awkward collocations, such as 'damages happened' (should be 'damage occurred') and 'get it repair' (should be 'get it repaired'). The range is sufficient to communicate the message, but the student relies on basic phrasing. Using more formal, precise terminology would significantly enhance the quality of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('I a informing', 'there are mentioned') and article usage ('a evening'). While the meaning is generally clear, these errors are noticeable and detract from the overall fluency. The student attempts some complex structures, but they are often inaccurate. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors like verb tense and article usage will help improve the accuracy of the writing.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.