Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-17

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,

I am writing this letter to express my concern regarding the high sound of video games by neighbours at midnight from last week.

Actually, I am preparing myself for clearing my exam for the banking sector. Because I have to work during daytime, therefore I only get time to prepartion at night and the loud noise from upper apartment makes me irriated and uncomforatable.

I am requesting you to figure out the solution for this problem, you can either converasation with them about the lower the valume of the game or suggest them to use headphones at night.

your sincere,

Manpreet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the main issue—loud gaming late at night—and make a clear request for the agency to intervene, including asking the neighbour to lower the volume or use headphones. However, the task is only partly developed: “from last week” gives a brief indication of when it began, but the timing and pattern are not explained, and the effects are limited to feeling irritated and uncomfortable while studying. The response also contains 103 words, below the required 150, so there is not enough detail to fully address the situation. Add specific examples of how the noise affects your sleep or exam preparation, and explain what action you expect the agency to take and by when.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter has a recognisable sequence: you state the complaint, explain your study circumstances, and request a solution. This gives the reader a basic understanding of your purpose. However, the ideas are compressed into a few blocks, and the connection between working during the day and needing to study at night could be expressed more smoothly. The sentence beginning “I am requesting you” joins the request and two possible actions with a comma, making the progression harder to follow. Use separate paragraphs for the problem, its effects, and the requested action, and connect them with clear transitions such as “As a result” and “I would therefore appreciate it if…”.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant vocabulary for the situation, including “concern,” “loud noise,” “upper apartment,” and “headphones,” so the basic message is understandable. However, the range is limited, and several inaccurate or misspelled expressions make the letter less natural, such as “high sound,” “clearing my exam,” and “lower the valume.” Some spelling errors, including “irriated” and “uncomforatable,” also reduce clarity and polish. Choose more precise collocations for a formal complaint and check spelling carefully. For example, describe “excessive noise” from the neighbouring flat and explain that it “disrupts my exam preparation.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, and the reader can generally follow the main message. However, some sentence structures are faulty, particularly “Because I have to work during daytime, therefore…”; using both “because” and “therefore” in this construction is unnecessary. The request sentence also runs together two clauses with a comma: “I am requesting you to figure out the solution…, you can either…”. The letter’s closing, “your sincere,” is not formed correctly. Use a complete, clearly punctuated sentence for each request, and practise linking clauses with one appropriate connector. These changes would make your grammar more controlled and the formal letter easier to read.

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

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