Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-08-19

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

New neighbours have recently moved into the house/flat next door to where you live. You have examinations soon, but your neighbours play music late at night which is affecting your studies and sleep.

• explain what the problem is
• why it is causing you difficulties
• what action you would like them to take

Student answer (Band 6.5)

Dear Sir,

I am writing to request you to play your music at a lower volume, as I have my exams soon.

I am doing my master's in economics, for which I have my tests very lately. Due to my busy schedule during the day, I am only able to study late at night. I understand that you love listening to high-pitched music, but due to this I am not able to concentrate and focus on my subject.

I apologize, but it is really difficult for me to change my study time because I have to attend the college in the morning. If I were to go to bed late while waiting for your music to stop and then study, I would have to miss my initial lectures.

At last, I would like to request you to either change your timings to play the songs or, if possible, to lower down the volume during those specific hours. I find dark time more quiet and less distractions and a better time to learn and understand the topics.

I hope you will understand my situation and look forward to it.

Best Regards,

Manmeet Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points of the task. You clearly explained the problem (loud music), the impact on your studies, and proposed specific actions for your neighbours to take. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a neighbour. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the letter is clear from the beginning. To reach a higher band, ensure that all details are fully relevant; for instance, mentioning your specific degree is fine, but ensure the focus remains on the request for quiet. Overall, you have fulfilled the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organised with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use paragraphing appropriately to separate your points. There is a good use of cohesive devices such as 'Due to', 'If I were to', and 'At last', which help the flow of ideas. However, some transitions could be more natural; for example, 'At last' is not the most common way to introduce a final request in a letter—'Finally' or 'I would appreciate it if' would be more standard. The progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'concentrate', 'busy schedule', and 'initial lectures'. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'dark time' (which is not a standard collocation for 'nighttime') and 'less distractions' (which should be 'fewer distractions'). You also use 'very lately' incorrectly, as it should be 'soon' or 'in the near future'. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise word choice and better understanding of collocations to reach a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the conditional 'If I were to go to bed late... I would have to miss...'. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'I am doing my master's... for which I have my tests very lately' and 'I find dark time more quiet and less distractions'. Additionally, 'look forward to it' is slightly unnatural in this context; 'look forward to hearing from you' would be more appropriate. Despite these errors, the meaning is always clear, and your control of grammar is generally sufficient for the task.

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

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