Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-09

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,

I hope you are doing well.By writing this letter I am expressing my heartfelt gratitude to the workers who have work so hard for me on this Tuesday.

Firstly, Everyone was very patient and hardworking particularly the Manager on site he explained everyone equal tasks and operations to do which made it so quick to move the furniture. Not only that, he was organizing the furniture according to the weight which made the work easy and quick also, he was writing the inventory to save his time.

Lastly, only one thing that I didnt like was while shifting the furniture one of my table got a big scratch that was my favorite gift that I got on my birthday and it was very close to me. So, I hope next time while carrying heavy objects the workers should pay more attention and move it carefully.

Regards,

Arshpreet Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address the main requirements by describing what went well, identifying the on-site manager as particularly helpful, and explaining that a table was scratched. The details about assigning tasks and arranging furniture by weight make the positive feedback relevant, while the birthday-gift detail explains why the damage mattered to you. However, the praise is focused mainly on the manager’s organisation rather than giving a specific example of personal help, and the complaint does not clearly state what response you would like from the company. Develop these points further—for example, explain how the manager assisted you directly and request an apology, repair, or compensation—to make all parts of the letter more fully addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter has a recognisable structure: an opening, a paragraph about the successful move, a paragraph about the problem, and a closing. Sequencing words such as “Firstly” and “Lastly” help signal the shift between points. However, the progression within the first main paragraph is crowded: several ideas about the manager, task allocation, furniture weight, and inventory are joined together, making the relationships less clear. “Not only that” is not followed by a matching “but also” construction, and “also” is repeated. Separate the manager’s contribution from the general service and use clearer links between examples. A more conventional letter closing and a paragraph explicitly requesting follow-up would also make the organisation feel more complete.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of vocabulary for a moving-service letter, including “patient,” “hardworking,” “inventory,” and “scratch.” These choices communicate the main events, and “heartfelt gratitude” conveys a positive tone. Some expressions are less natural or precise, however: “work so hard for me” and “writing the inventory to save his time” do not clearly express the intended praise, while “big scratch” is informal and imprecise. “Furniture” is also repeated, and “close to me” is a general way to describe the table’s sentimental value. Aim for more natural collocations and precise descriptions, such as explaining that the manager coordinated the team and that the table was badly scratched.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the explanation beginning “which made it so quick to move the furniture” and the sentence describing the damaged table. The main message remains understandable, but some grammatical and punctuation errors reduce control. For example, “By writing this letter I am expressing” is an awkward construction, and “one of my table got” has errors in the possessive/plural pattern and verb agreement. The long sentence beginning “Not only that” also joins several clauses without clear punctuation, while “I didnt” needs an apostrophe. Practise accurate sentence boundaries, subject–verb agreement, and possessive forms, while keeping the useful variety of sentence structures you are attempting.

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