Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-08-25

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 5.5)

Dear Justin ,

I hope you are doing well . Firstly , you have welcome in our society . But , I have issue from your sound system . Which you play at mid night time every day . Which is disturbing for me . I am last year student and my course is tuff , I am unable to focus on study because of loud noise .

It is problem for me because of your songs bass which is too much . Its vibrate my study table some time .

I have exam with in couple days . I would like to request to you , please avoid use of this music system after evening time , This time is best time for me to read due to morning work shifts . I can not do study early morning .

I hope you will work on this issue .

Your Faithfully ,

Arjan Dhillon

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all three bullet points of the task: explaining the problem, describing the impact on your studies, and requesting specific action. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention the music is loud and affects your sleep, the explanation could be more detailed to fully convey the urgency of your situation. The tone is generally appropriate for a letter to a neighbour, though it fluctuates slightly in formality. To improve, ensure that each point is expanded with more descriptive language to better illustrate the situation to the reader.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your message. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite mechanical and sometimes inaccurate. For example, starting sentences with 'Which' or 'But' is grammatically incorrect in this context and disrupts the flow. The transition between the problem and the requested action is clear, but the overall progression could be smoother if you used a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'therefore') instead of relying on simple sentence structures. Improving the variety of your connectors will significantly enhance the readability of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is sufficient to convey the basic message, but it is quite limited and repetitive. You rely on simple terms like 'problem', 'tuff' (spelling error for 'tough'), and 'best time'. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'you have welcome in our society' (should be 'welcome to the neighborhood') and 'avoid use of this music system'. To reach a higher band, you should aim to incorporate more precise vocabulary related to the context, such as 'disruptive', 'concentration', 'consideration', or 'volume levels', rather than relying on basic descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a high frequency of grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. There are frequent issues with sentence fragments (e.g., 'Which you play at mid night time every day'), subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'Its vibrate'), and article usage. The range of structures is limited primarily to simple sentences. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, ensuring every sentence has a clear subject and verb, and practicing the correct use of punctuation. Reducing these frequent errors is essential for achieving a higher score, as the current level of inaccuracy is quite noticeable.

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

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