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 or Madam,

I am writing to complain about repeated disturbances from a neighbouring apartment. I live in apartment number 208 in heritage flats and the noise has been affecting my family for the past two days.

Last monday me my family slept peacfully and around 10 o'clock we heard very loud noise from and that noise coming the the wall which is attached to our neighbour's flat.

However, i tried to know the wall twice but nobody responded.

As i live with my parents they have certain time to sleep bacause of age. Another issue is that i have to go for work early in the morning so i am not able to sleep properly that is also affecting my job.

I would appercitae if you give them notice or warning to them. It would be great if you could tell everyone in the building about the ground rules so everyone has to be careful about it.

I hope you take a action about my issue.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Your faithful,

Anita

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three required points: it says the disturbance began “for the past two days,” explains that your parents need sleep and that your early work schedule is affected, and asks the agency to issue a warning and remind residents of the rules. These details make the complaint relevant and give the agency a clear general request. However, the start of the problem is not fully clear: “Last monday” is followed by a confusing account of hearing noise at around 10 o’clock, so the reader cannot tell whether this happened on Monday or whether the noise is specifically late at night. The requested action could also be more precise, such as asking the agency to contact the neighbour directly and enforce quiet hours.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a recognisable structure, moving from the complaint to its effects and then to the action requested. Paragraph breaks help separate these functions, and phrases such as “Another issue” and “I look forward to hearing from you” guide the reader. Some connections are less clear or mechanical, however. “However” does not clearly contrast with the preceding sentence, and the account of trying to contact the neighbour is difficult to follow, interrupting the explanation of when the noise began. The shift from the neighbour’s behaviour to “tell everyone in the building” also broadens the request without explaining how this relates to resolving the specific disturbance. Use clearer sequencing and references to make the progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a suitable range of complaint-related vocabulary, including “repeated disturbances,” “notice or warning,” and “ground rules,” which helps communicate the purpose of the letter. The wording is generally understandable, but several spelling errors and awkward expressions reduce precision, for example “peacfully,” “appercitae,” and “give them notice or warning to them.” “Very loud noise” is also repeated in a basic way, and “noise coming the the wall” does not express the source naturally. Aim for accurate spelling and more natural collocations, such as “excessive noise,” “contact the tenant,” and “issue a formal warning.” This would make the complaint sound clearer and more appropriately formal.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response includes both simple statements and attempts at longer sentences, such as the explanation linking your parents’ need for sleep with your early work schedule. The main message remains understandable, but some sentence structures are faulty or incomplete. For example, “Last monday me my family slept…” lacks a clear grammatical structure, while “I tried to know the wall twice” does not form a clear sentence. There are also errors in articles, verb forms, and sentence boundaries, as in “I hope you take a action” and the long sentence beginning “As i live with my parents.” Practise building accurate complex sentences with clear subjects and verbs, and check articles and punctuation before submitting.

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

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