Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-12

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 or madam

I am writing this email about a problem which I was facing from last one week.It is a none other then a heater.Which is a big problem right now because now temprature going cold so I need a good heater.

Last sunday , one of my friend came in my apartment and he plan to stayed upto 10 days.But due to this problem he went in just 2 days because our heater is not working properly it was vey embrassing moment on that day.If its take long time to repair plese provide me small flodable heater which I can use for now.

If you get some free time I request to come my apartment to see the problem which i was facing since last week and also due to this problem our utilites going so high so i request to come my apartment to see the problem

I look forward to your responce.Thank you so much for giving your quality time for looking this problem

your sincerely

smit

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three requested points: you identify the faulty heater, suggest a temporary foldable heater if repairs take time, and ask the manager to visit. The cold weather and your friend’s early departure help explain why the issue matters. However, the proposed repair itself is not clearly stated, and the effect on utility costs is mentioned without explaining how the heater is causing them. The request for a visit is also repeated rather than developed with a specific suggestion about arranging a time. To strengthen the letter, clearly ask for the heater to be inspected and repaired promptly, then explain the cost concern or provide a relevant detail about the fault.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter has a recognisable overall structure: it introduces the problem, gives an example of its impact, and ends with a request and closing. Paragraphing helps separate these stages. However, progression is weakened by repetition, especially the repeated request to “come my apartment to see the problem,” and several links between ideas are unclear. For example, the friend’s visit, the heater’s condition, and the request for a temporary heater are crowded into one paragraph. The opening also moves abruptly from the problem to the weather. Organise each paragraph around one purpose and use clearer links, such as explaining the fault first, then its consequences, before making the repair and visit requests.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main issue, including “heater,” “repair,” “temperature,” and “utilities.” There are also attempts to express impact, such as “embarrassing moment.” However, the range is limited and several spelling and word-choice errors make the letter less clear or natural: “none other then,” “vey embrassing,” “flodable,” and “responce.” Some phrases are also awkward, including “a good heater” and “our utilities going so high.” Choose precise expressions for the fault and its consequences, and check spelling carefully. For example, describe the heater as “not functioning properly” and say that it is “increasing our utility bills.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, and the reader can generally understand the main message. However, errors in verb forms, sentence boundaries, articles, and prepositions are noticeable. For example, “one of my friend came” needs a plural noun, while “he plan to stayed” combines incompatible verb forms. “If its take long time to repair” also has an incorrect subject–verb form and an incomplete article phrase. Several sentences run together, such as the opening after “week,” and the final request is repeated without clear punctuation. Use shorter, complete sentences and check each clause for a clear subject and correctly formed verb; this will make your requests easier to follow.

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

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