Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-09-01

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 Neighbour,

I am writing to kindly ask you to reduce the volume of the music you play late at night. I understand that you recently moved into the new house is next door and you may enjoying your new house, but late night loud music has create problem for me.

I have examination soon, so i need to quiet environment to focus my study. Unfortunately, the music plays until night with high volume creates difficulty for me to proper concentrate on my study. It also disturbed my sleeping pattern which feels whole day tired and unable to study effectively.

I would be thankful to you if you could lower the volume of music, especially during night time after 10 PM. I would appreciate if you don't play music after 10PM instead of lower volume.

I hope you understand my situation and take my request into consideration.

Yours sincerely,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points: the problem is identified, the impact on your studies is explained, and a specific request for action is made. However, the response falls slightly short of the 150-word minimum requirement, which negatively impacts the score. While the tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, the development of ideas is somewhat brief. To reach a higher band, ensure you meet the word count and expand slightly on the impact of the noise to provide a more fully developed response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat limited and occasionally mechanical. For example, the transition between the problem and the impact could be smoother. While the paragraphing is appropriate, the overall flow would benefit from a more varied use of linking words and phrases to connect sentences more naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your message clearly. You use some relevant terms like 'sleeping pattern' and 'concentrate'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'has create problem' (should be 'has created a problem') and 'proper concentrate' (should be 'properly concentrate'). The range of vocabulary is somewhat narrow, and you rely on basic phrasing. To improve, try to incorporate more precise adjectives and adverbs to describe the situation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

There is a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the accuracy is inconsistent. You have several grammatical errors, such as 'you may enjoying' (should be 'you may be enjoying'), 'i need to quiet environment' (should be 'I need a quiet environment'), and 'which feels whole day tired' (should be 'which makes me feel tired all day'). These errors are frequent enough to be noticeable, though they do not completely impede communication. Increasing your control over verb tenses and article usage will help improve your score.

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

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