Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-11

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You rent a flat from an accommodation agency. Your neighbour who rents their flat from the same agency plays very loud video games late at night.

Write a letter to the accommodation agency. In your letter

• explain when the problem began

• describe how the noise affects you

• say what you would like the agency to do

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 5.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

Hope this letter finds you well. I'm writing this letter to lodge a complaint regarding continuous disturbance from my fellow neighbour late at night.

I rented an apartment from your agency and after moving I got to know every tenant lives here is managed by your agency only. Two weeks ago, I met with a problem of loud noise issue from video games played by my neighbour.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The letter identifies the central issue—your neighbour’s loud video games late at night—and gives a timeframe by saying it began “Two weeks ago.” However, the task is addressed only minimally: you do not explain how the noise affects you or state what action you want the agency to take. The opening also says you are lodging a complaint, but the complaint is not developed into a complete request. The response is 79 words below the required minimum of 150, leaving too little space to cover all three bullet points. To improve, explain the impact on your sleep or daily routine and make a specific request, such as asking the agency to contact the neighbour and enforce quiet hours.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic, sensible sequence: it opens with the purpose of the letter, gives some background about the tenancy, and then introduces when the noise problem began. The paragraph break also helps separate the opening from the explanation. However, the letter stops before developing a clear progression through the task’s three points, so the reader does not reach the effects of the noise or the requested action. The transition from “I rented an apartment” to “Two weeks ago” is understandable but could be more direct. Use separate paragraphs for the start of the problem, its effects, and your request, with clear links such as “Since then” and “I would therefore ask you to…”.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use several relevant expressions, including “lodge a complaint,” “continuous disturbance,” and “loud noise,” so the reader can identify the subject of the letter. There is some range in the wording, but a few phrases are unnatural or imprecise: “fellow neighbour” is redundant, and “a problem of loud noise issue” combines overlapping terms. “Every tenant lives here is managed by your agency only” is also awkward and makes the intended point less clear. Choose concise, natural collocations, for example, “my neighbour’s late-night gaming” and “all the flats in this building are managed by your agency.” More precise vocabulary for the impact and requested action would also make the letter more effective.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response communicates its basic meaning through mostly simple sentence patterns, and the sentence “Two weeks ago, I met with a problem…” gives a clear time reference. However, control is uneven in longer constructions. In “after moving I got to know every tenant lives here is managed by your agency only,” the clauses are not joined grammatically; a clearer structure would be “After moving in, I learned that all the tenants here are managed by your agency.” The opening “Hope this letter finds you well” omits the subject, which is common informally but less suitable in a formal letter; use “I hope this letter finds you well.” Practise combining clauses with accurate conjunctions and relative clauses, while checking articles and sentence boundaries.

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

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