Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-09-02

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 8.0)

Dear Neighbour,

I am writing to ask if you could reduce the volume of the music you play late at night.

I recently noticed that loud music has been playing from your house until quite late in the evening. I completely understand that you may want to enjoy music and relax, but unfortunately, the noise is causing me some difficulties.

I have important examinations coming up soon, and I need to spend a lot of time studying. The loud music makes it difficult for me to concentrate, especially in the evening. In addition, it sometimes wakes me up at night, which means I feel tired and find it harder to study effectively the next day.

I would be very grateful if you could keep the music at a lower volume, particularly after 10 p.m. I hope you understand my situation and will be able to help me by keeping the noise down.

Thank you for your understanding.

Yours sincerely,

Raj

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response fully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly explain the problem (loud music late at night), describe the impact on your studies and sleep, and propose a specific action (lowering the volume after 10 p.m.). The tone is appropriate for a letter to a neighbour, maintaining a polite and constructive stance throughout. The ideas are well-developed and logically presented, ensuring the reader understands the situation and the requested resolution. The letter is well-structured and meets all the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a polite closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the task, which aids readability. You use cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'unfortunately', and 'particularly' to link ideas smoothly. The progression of information is natural, moving from the problem to the impact and finally to the suggested solution. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter, and the overall flow is coherent and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The vocabulary is accurate and appropriate for the context of a formal letter. You use functional phrases like 'I would be very grateful if you could' and 'I completely understand'. While the vocabulary is sufficient and natural, it is somewhat standard. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate more precise or sophisticated collocations to describe the situation, such as 'persistent noise' or 'disrupting my concentration'. However, the current range is perfectly adequate for the task and conveys your meaning clearly without any errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The grammar is highly accurate, and the response is free of errors. You demonstrate a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'I completely understand that you may want to enjoy music and relax, but unfortunately, the noise is causing me some difficulties.' Punctuation is used correctly throughout. The control over verb tenses and modal verbs (e.g., 'could', 'would', 'may') is precise and contributes to the polite tone of the letter. The writing is fluent and error-free.

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

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