Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-09

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 manager ,

I am recidents of wing112 in st.helens apartment. hope you are well .i would like to disscuss about gutter problems in our basement area. There is overflows gutter and stinks is disturb the enviorments .we tried to fixed that by florrex powder and some drenage clear liqvids but it was not work it's should be done by any specialist.moreover our childerns also play in that aria so it not good for them as well .

My humble reqvest to you to came to visit once in our apartment and see actual situation about that block. added you can visit with any gutter blockege clear man or team so they can solve this problem as soon as possible as about 150 peopel effected with bed air.many old age persons is ill becuse of dirty enviorment.mosqitos and insect found near our aria so we face many health problems by this situation.

We wish wait for your respond

YOUR FAITHFULLY

XYZ

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three requested points: you describe the overflowing, unpleasant-smelling gutter, suggest that a specialist clear it, and ask the manager to visit and inspect the situation. The effects on children, older residents, and the wider community also extend the explanation and make the request purposeful. The main details are relevant and your concern is clear throughout. To strengthen the response further, make the proposed action more specific—for example, request a professional inspection and repair by a particular time—and clarify whether the gutter is in a shared basement or within your apartment. A more complete formal closing would also make the letter feel finished.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter follows a generally sensible order: it introduces the problem, explains its effects, and then asks the manager to visit and arrange help. The paragraph break also separates the description from the request. However, some links are mechanical or unclear. For example, “moreover” introduces another consequence, while “added” is used where a clearer connector such as “In addition” would help. The long second paragraph combines the visit request, the proposed repair, and health impacts, so the progression becomes harder to follow. Use shorter, clearly focused paragraphs and make references such as “that block” explicit to improve cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “gutter,” “specialist,” “health problems,” and “mosquitoes and insects,” which helps communicate the situation. However, spelling errors and inaccurate word choices are noticeable and sometimes make the reader pause: “drenage,” “enviorments,” “bed air,” and “blockege” are examples. Some phrases are also unnatural, such as “gutter problems” and “dirty environment” in this context. Aim for accurate, natural collocations and check spelling carefully. More precise terms such as “blocked drain,” “foul odour,” and “pest infestation” would describe the issue more clearly while retaining an appropriate formal tone.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts to combine ideas using clauses, as in “we tried to fixed that … but it was not work,” and “so they can solve this problem,” but control of verb forms and sentence construction is weak. Errors include “I am recidents,” “There is overflows gutter,” and “many old age persons is ill”; these affect agreement, articles, and plural forms. The opening also contains several sentence-boundary and punctuation problems, while the request “to came to visit” uses an incorrect verb form. These patterns sometimes make meaning difficult to process. Practise accurate simple sentences first, then build longer sentences with correct subject–verb agreement and verb forms.

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

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