Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-01

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 5.0)

Dear Manager,

I am writing this letter to report a couple of things that needs immediate repair in my apartment.

Actually, I want to draw your attention toward a few problems that I am facing from last two days. Firstly, there is a continuous water drainage from the ceiling of bathroom which makes the whole floor wet as well as create a chance to slip, moreover refrigerator also stopped working due to that the stuff stored in it becomes spoiled.

to resolve this issue promp

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response is significantly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which severely impacts the task achievement. While the letter attempts to address the three bullet points—describing the problem, suggesting a solution, and requesting a visit—the content is incomplete and cuts off mid-sentence. Because the response is unfinished, the ideas are not fully developed, and the purpose of the letter is not clearly fulfilled. To improve, you must ensure you complete all parts of the prompt and meet the minimum word count to allow for sufficient elaboration on each point.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The text is too short to demonstrate effective paragraphing or a logical flow of ideas. While there is a basic attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'Firstly' and 'moreover', the abrupt ending prevents the development of a coherent structure. The transition between the description of the problems and the proposed solution is interrupted. To achieve a higher band, you should organize your letter into clear paragraphs: one for the introduction and problem description, one for the proposed solution and request for a visit, and a formal closing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is functional but basic. Phrases like 'a couple of things' and 'stuff stored in it' are informal and lack the precision expected in a formal letter to a building manager. There are also errors in word choice, such as 'continuous water drainage' (which should be 'leaking') and 'create a chance to slip' (which is unnatural). To improve, focus on using more precise, formal vocabulary suitable for a professional complaint, such as 'maintenance issue' or 'urgent repair'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are several grammatical errors that hinder the clarity of the message. For example, 'a couple of things that needs' contains a subject-verb agreement error (should be 'need'). The phrase 'facing from last two days' is incorrect; it should be 'have been facing for the last two days'. Additionally, the sentence 'refrigerator also stopped working due to that the stuff...' is poorly constructed. The range of structures is limited, and the errors are frequent enough to cause some difficulty for the reader.

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

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