Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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,

I have to say about some major problem located inside the building wall. There are many issues in the building apartment where we are living. First major issue is that, the water is not coming in our bathroom. We have faced these diffculty for more than three days. Kindly fix the problem regarding the bathroom issue. There is also another problem in that building apartment. There is a little damage in the ceiling wall in our apartment located in the bed rooom. it contains a hole from which the water coming out staright to the bed which is a worst case for us to live in that room. How can we live in the bedroom with that settlement. Please come and visit our apartment as soon as possible and must resolve this matter ASAP. so, that we can spend our lives there happily.

Regards

apartment owner

apartment number

xyz

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address the main requirements by describing two repair problems: no water in the bathroom for three days and a hole in the bedroom ceiling through which water is coming. You also request repairs and ask the manager to visit, so the purpose is clear. However, the proposed action is mostly expressed as general requests to “fix the problem” and “resolve this matter”; specifying that the water supply should be restored and the ceiling inspected and repaired would make your suggestions more useful. The impact of the ceiling leak is mentioned, but the bathroom issue and the urgency of each repair could be explained more clearly. Overall, the relevant points are present, though some are less fully developed than others, and the letter would benefit from a more precise, appropriately formal request to the manager.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The letter follows a broadly sensible order: it introduces the problems, describes the bathroom and ceiling issues, and ends by asking for a visit and repairs. This makes the overall purpose understandable. However, the progression is weakened by repetitive phrasing such as “problem,” “issue,” and “building apartment,” and the two repair matters are not clearly separated into paragraphs. Some connections are awkward: “There is also another problem” repeats the earlier introduction, while “so, that” does not link naturally to the preceding request. Organise the letter into a brief opening, one paragraph for each problem, and a clear closing request. Use simple links such as “In addition” or “As a result” only where they show a genuine relationship between ideas.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough basic vocabulary to communicate the main problems, including “water,” “bathroom,” “ceiling,” and “hole.” Some wording also conveys urgency, particularly “as soon as possible.” However, the range is limited and several expressions are imprecise or unnatural, such as “major problem located inside the building wall,” “ceiling wall,” and “with that settlement.” Repetition of “problem” and “issue” also reduces variety. Spelling errors, including “diffculty,” “rooom,” and “staright,” are noticeable and can distract the reader. Aim for accurate, specific repair vocabulary and natural collocations, for example “the water supply has stopped” and “water is leaking through a hole in the ceiling.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You communicate using mostly simple sentences and make some attempts to connect ideas, so the reader can generally follow the message. However, errors in sentence construction, verb forms, articles, and punctuation are noticeable. For example, “I have to say about some major problem” is not a complete, natural grammatical construction, and “the water coming out” needs a finite verb such as “is coming out.” In “We have faced these difficulty,” the demonstrative and noun do not agree, while “the water is not coming” would be clearer as “is not running” in this context. Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, as in “it contains” after a full stop and “so, that.” Practise accurate sentence patterns and proofread each sentence for complete verbs and agreement.

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