Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-11

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

Five months ago, you started renting an apartment on a six-month agreement. You now wish to stay in the apartment for longer than the six months you originally agreed with the owner.

Write a letter to the owner of your apartment. In your letter

• say how long you now want to rent the apartment for
• explain why your plans have changed
• tell the owner about a problem in the apartment

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ....................................,

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Dear John,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter regarding my rental agreement. I know my agreement is expiring soon but i want to extend more than six months now. It really helpful for me if i can stay in my apartment.

I want to rent this aparment for a year because i have a one year contract for my current job. So, i have to be here for a year. It will be a more easy because i do not need for any transportation. Moreover, it is on walking distance.

I have a concern for this aparment, like a shower taps are not working properely and kitchen tiles should be upgraded.

I will wait for your decision and please understand my situation.

Your faithfully,

Jyoti

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address all three required points: you request a longer stay, explain that your job contract now lasts a year, and report problems with the shower taps and kitchen tiles. The request to rent for a year is clear, but the reason for the change and the apartment problems are only briefly stated; for example, explain why the tiles need upgrading or how the faulty taps affect you. The closing asks the owner to understand your situation, but a more direct request for a reply or confirmation would make your purpose clearer. The response is also 20 words below the required minimum, so there is limited space to develop these points. Add relevant detail while keeping the letter focused and polite.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall arrangement: it opens with the purpose, gives the proposed rental period and reason, then mentions maintenance concerns before closing. Paragraph breaks help the reader follow these stages, and links such as “because” and “Moreover” show how some ideas relate. This meets the requirement for coherent organisation, though the progression is not yet consistently smooth: “It will be a more easy” does not clearly connect the convenience point to the job contract, and “like” introduces the problems awkwardly. Use clearer transitions and develop each paragraph around one connected point. A more specific final sentence requesting a response would also give the letter a stronger conclusion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough task-related vocabulary to communicate the main message, including “rental agreement,” “extend,” “contract,” “transportation,” and “shower taps.” However, the range is limited and several choices or spellings are noticeably inaccurate, which makes parts of the letter less natural. For example, “rent this aparment” contains a spelling error, “on walking distance” is an unsuitable collocation, and “shower taps are not working properely” uses an incorrect spelling and imprecise phrasing. Choose more natural expressions such as “extend my tenancy,” “within walking distance,” and “the shower taps are not working properly.” More precise vocabulary for describing the tile issue would also strengthen the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You communicate using a mixture of simple sentences and some longer structures, such as “I want to rent this apartment for a year because I have a one year contract for my current job.” The main message remains understandable, but errors in sentence construction and grammatical forms are evident. Examples include “I know my agreement is expiring soon but i want to extend more than six months now,” where the comparison is incomplete, and “It really helpful for me if i can stay,” which is missing a verb. The sentence about the shower taps also needs a clearer grammatical structure. Practise complete clauses, conditional forms, and consistent capitalisation of “I”; then proofread for articles and sentence boundaries.

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