Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-22

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,

My name is Teena. I am living in a apartment which is under you area. I am writing this letter to tell you about some problem in my apartmentwhich need repairs. I am disccussing this in above paragraphs.

First and foremost, There is a problem in my gyser which is not working properly, In addition to this I want to say thay I have a problem of cough and cold since childhood , so thats why i catch cold from anywhere, specially cold water does not suits me even in summers i prefer some warm water for bathing.

Secondly, I would say to you that I am living in this apartment since long and this problem occurs every three months, so if gyeser should change and also see the wires if there is a problem in wires, you can call the plumber or any electician for this.

lastly, i want that you can see it by yourself to visit my apartment and clarifies about that. As of now it is a main problem but the cement also is not right in my apartment so look all this .

I hope I will get positive response from you as soon as possible.

your's sincerely,

Teena malhotra

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student covers all three bullet points required by the prompt, though the development is somewhat limited. The problem is described (the geyser is broken and the cement needs repair), what should be done is stated (replace the geyser and check the wiring), and a request is made for the building manager to visit the apartment. However, the tone is occasionally informal and repetitive, and the mention of a childhood cough and cold is irrelevant detail that does not contribute effectively to the task. Despite these weaknesses in development and irrelevance, all parts of the prompt are addressed, meeting the criteria for a Band 5.5 or 6.0. Given that the core message is clearly communicated and all instructions are attempted, a score of 6.0 is appropriate.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter exhibits a coherent overall arrangement, dividing the content into logical paragraphs with an appropriate opening and closing. However, the cohesion is sometimes mechanical and faulty. For instance, the transition 'I am disccussing this in above paragraphs' is awkward and unnecessary. Referencing is occasionally unclear, as seen in the phrasing 'look all this' at the end of the letter. Paragraphing is attempted, but transitions between sentences lack smoothness. Conjunctions like 'so thats why' are overused and informal. Because the letter has a clear overall structure and a discernible progression of ideas despite mechanical cohesive devices, it fits the Band 5.5 to 6.0 profile well, earning a 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate basic needs and problems. However, the range is quite limited, and there are noticeable errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'gyser' instead of 'geyser', 'electician' instead of 'electrician', and 'clarifies' instead of 'clarify'. Phrases like 'since long' are unnatural. The student attempts some less common vocabulary, but these attempts are often marred by inaccuracy. While these errors do not severely impede communication, they restrict the lexical score to a Band 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'I am writing this letter to tell you about some problem in my apartment which need repairs.' However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('problem... need', 'cement also is not right'), incorrect prepositions ('in a apartment which is under you area'), and run-on sentences joined by commas rather than proper conjunctions or punctuation. Punctuation and capitalization are also inconsistent, particularly with pronouns and names. These frequent errors cause some difficulty for the reader, placing the grammar firmly in the Band 5.0 category.

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

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