Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-07
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
You recently used a company to help you move your furniture and possessions to your new apartment. The removal company has now asked for your feedback about the service they provided.
Write a letter to the removal company. In your letter
explain what went well on the day you moved house
praise an employee who was particularly helpful
mention an aspect of the service that you were not happy with
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Sir or Madam,
Student answer (Band 5.5)
Dear Sir,
Hi, Hope so you are doing great. Actually in previous apartment we do not have enough space for our two children so me and my husband decided to move to other apartment. Your company did an amazing job they helped me in so many things i saw your company add on instagram and i messaged at night i told them about my situation they understand very well and they came on time like i said to them early morning.One of your employee Usama he helped me in other things as well like after moving the furniture i have to clean the whole house and he helped me in cleaning as well i really appreciate it. But the one thing i did not like about your company they did not pack my white sofas properly and a lot of dirt on my sofas back side this is the thing i did not like.I hope so next time we would not face this problem.Thank you so much. Take care.
Yours Fatihfully,
X.Y.Z
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The letter addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt: explaining what went well, praising an employee, and mentioning a negative aspect. However, the tone is overly informal and conversational, which is not appropriate for a formal letter to a company. The structure is also quite compressed, lacking clear paragraph breaks to separate the different requirements. While the ideas are relevant, they are somewhat underdeveloped, particularly the explanation of the move. To improve, you should adopt a more professional tone and ensure each bullet point is clearly delineated in its own paragraph to better meet the expectations of a formal business correspondence.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The letter lacks proper paragraphing, which makes the text appear as a single block. This hinders the logical flow of the letter. While there is a basic attempt to sequence the ideas, the transition between the positive feedback and the complaint is abrupt. The use of cohesive devices is very limited; you rely heavily on simple conjunctions like 'and' or 'but'. To achieve a higher band, you should use clear paragraph breaks for each main point and incorporate a wider range of linking words and phrases (e.g., 'Furthermore', 'Regarding the service', 'However', 'Consequently') to guide the reader through your letter more effectively.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally functional but quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'did an amazing job' and 'the thing i did not like' are informal and lack the precision expected in a formal letter. There is little attempt to use less common or more sophisticated vocabulary. To improve, you should aim for more precise collocations and a more formal register. For example, instead of saying 'helped me in other things', you could use 'provided additional assistance'. Expanding your range of vocabulary to include more professional terms related to moving services would significantly enhance your score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The letter contains several grammatical errors, including run-on sentences, missing articles, and punctuation issues (e.g., 'Hope so you are doing great', 'One of your employee Usama'). The sentence structures are predominantly simple, with few attempts at complex sentences. There are also errors in verb tense consistency and subject-verb agreement. To improve, focus on using a mix of simple and complex sentence structures and pay closer attention to basic grammar rules, such as pluralization and proper sentence boundaries. Proofreading for common errors like missing articles ('a', 'the') would also help improve the overall accuracy of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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