Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-12

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 5.5)

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing this letter to complaint about my neighbour who rents the flat from your agency.

Actually, new neighbours rented their flat from your agency on 12th September. On the very first day, they started plays very loud video games late at night. I was ignored because they were new. However, they did stop after a week.

If I talk about the problems, they affected me either personally or professionally. when they play loud speakers, I cannot take proper sleep due to which I wake up late In the morning. Due to the lack of sleep, I am Unable to go morning walk and pay attention to my study.

I would therefore appreciate it if you could take appropriate action against them. I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible.

Yours faithfully,

Jaspreet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address the three requested points: you say the noise began when the neighbours moved in, describe its effects on your sleep and daily routine, and ask the agency to take action. However, the timeline is unclear because you say the neighbours “did stop after a week,” while later describing the noise as an ongoing problem. The request to the agency is also quite general; specify a practical step, such as contacting the neighbour and asking them to keep the volume down at night. The response contains 131 words, below the 150-word minimum, so the letter needs more development. Add details about how often the noise occurs and how it affects your work or studies.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a recognisable structure, with separate paragraphs for the background, effects and requested action. The sequence is generally easy to follow, and phrases such as “However” and “I would therefore” help connect ideas. Some links are less clear: “they did stop after a week” conflicts with the later description of the noise, so clarify whether it stopped temporarily or resumed. The transition “If I talk about the problems” is awkward and does not smoothly introduce the effects. Use a direct link such as “The noise has affected me in several ways.” Clearer referencing and a more consistent timeline would make the progression more effective.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main issue, including “very loud video games,” “proper sleep,” and “lack of sleep.” There are also attempts at more formal language, such as “appropriate action” and “I would appreciate it if.” However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, including “to complaint,” “started plays,” “loud speakers,” and “pay attention to my study.” These errors make parts of the letter less fluent, although the intended meaning is generally understandable. Aim for precise, natural phrases suited to a formal complaint, and check word forms and collocations before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mixture of simple sentences and longer structures, including “I would therefore appreciate it if you could take appropriate action against them.” Most of the message remains understandable, but errors in verb forms, sentence boundaries and capitalisation are noticeable. For example, “they started plays” has an incorrect verb form, while “when they play loud speakers” begins with a lowercase letter after a full stop and has an unclear clause structure. Capitalisation is also inconsistent in “In the morning” and “Unable.” Practise forming past-tense clauses and punctuating sentence openings consistently. More accurate control of these patterns would make the letter easier to read.

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

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