Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-08-10

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You have enrolled in an evening course but you have found that you are too busy to continue and would like to take the course next term instead.

• explain the situation and why you cannot continue the course

• say what you would like to do about your studies

• ask for advice about what you can do about the situation

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Dear Sir,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to inform you about several problems that need immediate action in our Manohar apartment.

For a couple of days, there have been two leaks one in a shower pipe and another in a kitchen drainage tube, which makes water spreading all over a floor and into the central heating system. As a result, it not only affected the floor but also impacted the central heating system as it stopped functioning well. In addition, there are many bugs found in the kitchen and the bedroom, which have bitten me several times. As a result my sleep has been getting disturbed.

These problems can be majorly solved by scheduling appointments with a plumber and a specialist pest control.

I would like you to schedule a visit to my apartment to look into these issues. I usually stay at home after 5 PM. Hence, you can come after this time to resolve these problems promptly.

Yours faithfully,

Dhruv Bavadiya

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 2.0

The response is completely off-topic. The prompt explicitly asks you to write a letter regarding an evening course you have enrolled in, explaining why you cannot continue and requesting to defer to the next term. Instead, you have written a letter to a landlord regarding apartment maintenance issues (leaks and pests). Because you failed to address the task instructions entirely, the response cannot be assessed for task achievement in relation to the prompt provided. In an actual IELTS examination, this would result in a very low score for Task Achievement as the content is irrelevant to the set task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

Despite the content being irrelevant to the prompt, the letter itself is structured logically. You use appropriate paragraphing to separate the description of the problems from the proposed solutions and the request for a visit. Cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'As a result', and 'Hence' are used effectively to link ideas. The progression of information is clear and easy to follow, demonstrating a good grasp of how to organize a formal letter, even though the subject matter is incorrect.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally appropriate for a formal letter. You use specific terms like 'drainage tube', 'central heating system', and 'specialist pest control' correctly. There are minor issues, such as 'water spreading all over a floor' (should be 'across the floor') and 'majorly solved' (which is slightly informal/awkward; 'largely' or 'primarily' would be better). However, the range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly and precisely throughout the text.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a good command of sentence structure, using a mix of simple and complex sentences. There are a few grammatical slips, such as 'there have been two leaks one in a shower pipe' (missing punctuation/conjunction) and 'a specialist pest control' (should be 'a pest control specialist'). However, these errors are infrequent and do not impede communication. The use of modal verbs and time clauses is accurate, and the overall control of grammar is quite strong.

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.