Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-09

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 Mr.Smith,

I am writing to express my concern regarding the apartment that needs to be repaired as soon as.

For the past few weeks, I noticed that kitchen sink has been leaking continuously. i initially thought it was minor issue ,after some days water came to kitchen floor. I realized that leakage not only damage the sink, but also destroyed the floor and cabinets.

This is causing several issues like slippery floor ,which is harmful for children. I kindly request you fix this issue as soon as.

I would really appreciate if you personally go though my apartment it would be more helpful and you easily analyze the satiation.

I look forward for your response.

Your faithfully,

Gursimran singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: describing the problem, suggesting a solution, and requesting a visit. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum, which limits the development of your ideas. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, but the brevity prevents a full exploration of the situation. To improve, you should expand on the impact of the leak and provide more specific details regarding your availability for the manager's visit to ensure the task is fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into short paragraphs, which is a good start. However, the flow between sentences is somewhat disjointed due to a lack of cohesive devices. For example, the transition between the description of the leak and the request for a visit is abrupt. You rely on simple sentence structures, which makes the progression of ideas feel mechanical. Using linking words such as 'consequently,' 'furthermore,' or 'therefore' would help connect your thoughts more logically and improve the overall readability of your letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is functional but limited. You use basic terms like 'minor issue' and 'destroyed,' which are clear but lack variety. There are also some awkward collocations and word choice errors, such as 'analyze the satiation' (likely meant 'situation') and 'as soon as' (which is incomplete). To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise vocabulary related to home maintenance, such as 'persistent leak,' 'water damage,' or 'urgent repair,' and ensure that phrases are used in their complete, idiomatic forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including missing articles ('the kitchen sink,' 'the kitchen floor'), punctuation issues (spaces before commas), and incomplete phrases ('as soon as'). The sentence structures are predominantly simple, with limited attempts at complex sentences. For instance, 'I realized that leakage not only damage the sink, but also destroyed the floor' contains a tense inconsistency ('damage' should be 'damaged'). Improving your control over verb tenses and article usage, as well as varying your sentence structure, will significantly enhance your accuracy.

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

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