Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-26

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 5.0)

Dear Mr Miller,

Hope you are doing well. i have been living in building coastarika since last 3 months and its a lovely building. From last 3 days i have this problem in my kitchen sink and i cannot work.

I think you should change the sink because its not working properly.

kindly if you can have a visit and see for yourself, i would be very thankful to you.

Regards

Miss Mehr

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify a kitchen-sink problem, suggest replacing the sink, and ask Mr Miller to visit, so the letter is relevant and touches on all three requested points. However, the problem is described only as “not working properly,” without explaining what is wrong, when it happens, or how it affects you beyond “I cannot work.” The proposed repair is also brief and unsupported. Most importantly, the response is 73 words, below the required 150, so the request and explanation are not developed enough to fulfil the task. Add specific details about the fault, its impact, and a suitable time for the manager to inspect it, while expanding the letter to the required length.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The information follows a generally understandable order: a greeting and brief introduction, the problem, a suggested solution, and a request for a visit. This basic sequence helps the reader follow your purpose. However, the letter is very short and the ideas are compressed into a few lines, so there is little progression or development between them. The opening comment about the building does not lead clearly into the repair issue, and the request could be connected more smoothly to the description. Use separate, purposeful paragraphs and linking phrases such as “The problem is that…” and “For this reason…” to make the relationship between details clearer.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the basic situation, using relevant terms such as “kitchen sink,” “change,” and “visit.” The main limitation is the narrow range: “problem” and “not working properly” do not specify the fault, and “change the sink” is less precise for a repair request. There are also noticeable spelling and word-choice issues, including “coastarika” and “have a visit,” which may make the letter less natural for the reader. Build a more precise set of repair-related expressions, for example, describe whether the sink is leaking, blocked, or damaged, and request that it be inspected or repaired.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The letter relies mainly on short, simple sentence patterns, such as “I think you should change the sink” and “I would be very thankful to you.” These communicate the main message, but there is little variety or use of more developed sentence structures. Several grammatical and punctuation errors are noticeable: “i” should be capitalised, “since last 3 months” needs a more accurate time construction, and “From last 3 days i have this problem” has an incorrect preposition and word order. The opening fragment “Hope you are doing well” also lacks an explicit subject. Practise accurate present-perfect forms and combine related details into complete sentences.

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

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