Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-31

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/Madam

I am writing to you to inform about the issue of water leakage in the sink near kitchen area that needs to be repair. First, I thought its normal as no need to worry about this matter. But, day by day the problem getting worse as I cant able to open the pipe for any other use.

In addition, I think you need to change the pipe connected to the sink. if not take any action aganist this may cause several problems. so, I kindly request you to come and visit the apartment soon. Moreover, you can get a clear view about what needs to done for solving this matter.

I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Kind Regards

Av

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: the problem is described, a solution is proposed, and a request for a visit is made. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which negatively impacts the development of ideas. The points are addressed in a very brief, superficial manner. To achieve a higher band, you need to expand on the details—for example, explaining the extent of the water damage or providing specific times you are available for the manager to visit. Because the response is 27 words short of the requirement, it cannot be awarded a score higher than 5.0 for this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear opening and closing. Paragraphing is present, though the structure is quite sparse due to the limited length. You use some basic cohesive devices such as 'In addition' and 'Moreover' to link ideas. However, the flow is somewhat mechanical, and the transition between the description of the problem and the request for action could be smoother. To improve, try to use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, well-developed focus.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. You use functional phrases like 'water leakage' and 'kindly request', which are appropriate for a formal letter. However, there is a lack of less common or more precise vocabulary. For instance, instead of 'getting worse', you could use 'deteriorating'. There are also minor errors in word choice, such as 'inform about the issue' (should be 'inform you about') and 'needs to be repair' (should be 'needs to be repaired'). Expanding your range of collocations would help improve this score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The letter contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that affect the clarity of the writing. Examples include 'I thought its normal' (missing 'it is'), 'no need to worry' (fragmented), 'I cant able to' (incorrect structure; should be 'I am unable to'), and 'if not take any action' (missing subject). These errors are noticeable and occasionally impede the flow of the message. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of modal verbs and passive voice constructions.

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

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