Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-14

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 6.5)

Dear Rohit,

I wish to bring your attention about a maintenance issue in my apartment that requires a quick attention.

For the past two weeks, I have been experiencing a serious problem with bathroom plumbing. The water in the sink and shower drains extremely slowly and sometimes unpleasant odour comes from the pipes. In addition, a small patch of dampness has appeared on the wall, which seems to be getting larger. I am concerned that this might lead to mould growth and cause serious problem.

I would appreciate if you could arrange a plumber to inspect the drainage system and repair any damaged or blocked pipes. Also wall area needs to be assessed.

I also request you to please visit my apartment and have a look on the cu

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address the main requirements by describing slow drainage, an unpleasant smell, and growing dampness, then requesting a plumber and asking the manager to visit. The concern about possible mould also explains why the repair matters. However, some parts are less fully developed: the proposed inspection and repair are brief, and the final request is cut off at “have a look on the cu…”, so the visit request is not completed clearly. The response also does not meet the required minimum length, leaving little room to explain the impact of the problem or specify a convenient time for the visit. Complete the final sentence and add a little relevant detail to make the request fully clear.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The information follows a sensible order: you introduce the maintenance issue, describe its symptoms, suggest repairs, and then ask for a visit. Linking phrases such as “For the past two weeks” and “In addition” help the reader follow the progression, and the paragraph breaks separate the problem from the requested action. This is a coherent overall arrangement. To make the letter more polished, use a clear closing paragraph and finish the final sentence, which currently stops at “have a look on the cu…”. The transition from the repair request to the visit request could also be smoother, for example by explaining that the manager’s visit would help assess the damp wall.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of relevant vocabulary, including “drains extremely slowly,” “unpleasant odour,” “dampness,” “mould growth,” and “drainage system.” These choices make the maintenance problem easy to understand, and “assessed” is a suitably formal word for a letter to a building manager. Some phrases are not natural collocations, however: “bring your attention about” and “a quick attention” are awkward, while “have a look on” is not the usual expression. The unfinished final phrase also prevents the intended wording from being clear. Aim for more precise, conventional combinations such as “bring this issue to your attention,” “urgent attention,” and “take a look at the problem.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including the relative clause “which seems to be getting larger” and the conditional concern “this might lead to mould growth.” Most of the message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors are noticeable. For example, “I would appreciate if” needs “I would appreciate it if,” and “cause serious problem” needs an article or plural form. In “Also wall area needs to be assessed,” the noun phrase needs a determiner, such as “the wall area.” The final sentence is incomplete, so its structure cannot be fully understood. Check articles and sentence completion, while retaining the complex forms you already attempt.

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