Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-27

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 Sir,

I am writing this to raise a concenr about a repair in my residency. Also, it is not a minor prolem, so it requires an early attention.

The probelm is majorly about hot water. It seems to have a leakage in the pipeline, connected to the hot water tank. Because of this, Iam facing few consequences; not able to do laundry for clothes which requires warm wash cycle, also, I was running sick, so as per doctor's suggestions, i am not allowed to take a shower with cold water.

I want to do a request to you to fix this pri

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You identify a relevant problem—a leak in the hot-water pipeline—and explain its effects on laundry and your ability to shower while ill. However, the letter is incomplete: the request for repairs stops at “fix this pri…”, and you do not clearly say what action you expect or ask the manager to visit your apartment. The response also falls 47 words short of the required minimum, leaving the situation and requested solution substantially underdeveloped. To address the task more fully, finish the repair request, specify a practical action such as arranging an inspection and plumber, and explicitly invite the manager to visit at a suitable time.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The opening establishes the purpose, and the next paragraph moves to the hot-water issue and its consequences, so the reader can follow the basic sequence. The linking phrase “Because of this” also connects the leak to its effects. However, the response ends abruptly during the repair request, so there is no complete progression to the proposed solution or visit request. The second paragraph also packs several effects into one sentence, making the relationship between them less clear. Use separate paragraphs for the problem, its impact, and the action you want, and complete the final request so the letter has a clear ending.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “hot water,” “pipeline,” “leakage,” and “warm wash cycle,” which helps identify the issue. However, spelling errors and awkward word choices are noticeable and sometimes make the message harder to read: “concenr,” “prolem,” and “residency” are examples. Phrases such as “raise a concern about a repair” and “do a request” are not natural in this context, and the final phrase is cut off. Aim for accurate, conventional language for a maintenance letter, such as “report a problem in my apartment” and “request that the leak be repaired.” Proofread spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts to combine ideas using a cause-and-effect clause, as in “Because of this,” and includes a relative clause in “clothes which requires warm wash cycle.” However, the range of sentence structures is limited, and several sentences are grammatically faulty. For example, “I am facing few consequences; not able to do laundry” lacks a complete clause after the semicolon, while “I was running sick” and “I am not allowed to take a shower” do not express the intended situation clearly. Capitalisation is also inconsistent in “Iam” and “i.” Use complete sentences, check subject–verb agreement and articles, and keep verb forms consistent when describing your current problem.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.