Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-01

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 this letter finds you in high spirits and radiant health. I am writing letter to inform i that 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.

additionally, according to the given information it is clear that i want to rent the apartment for six month because i want to live the apartment it is very quite and peaceful and clean. I am so very interesting live there .

i have changed the plane live there because i have a less time for work permit . i want to move another city as well i could the extension my work permit but i can to live long time there.

however i have lot of problem is living there this apartment to very top on the floor when i go there then take the more time reached there. tis apartment so very small are inside and small room and kitchen is very to small

pay my regard to you parents and love to kids.

yours lovely

ranjeet singh.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all three bullet points, but the content is significantly undermined by the inclusion of the prompt instructions as part of the letter text. By copying the prompt into the second paragraph, the writer fails to communicate their own ideas effectively. While the intention to extend the lease and the mention of a maintenance issue are present, the explanation for the change in plans is confusing and lacks logical development. The tone is inconsistent, shifting from formal to overly casual, which is inappropriate for a landlord-tenant communication.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is divided into paragraphs, which is a positive feature. However, the logical flow is frequently interrupted by grammatical errors and awkward phrasing. The use of cohesive devices is mechanical and often misused, such as the repetitive use of 'i' and 'the' in ways that obscure the connection between ideas. The transition between the request to stay and the explanation of the problem is abrupt, making the overall structure feel disjointed and difficult to follow in places.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive. There are frequent errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'radiant health' (too informal/inappropriate for a landlord) and 'i have a less time for work permit'. The student struggles to express specific concepts clearly, relying on basic, often incorrect, phrasing. Spelling errors, such as 'quite' instead of 'quiet' and 'plane' instead of 'plan', further demonstrate a lack of control over the vocabulary required for this task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that impede communication. There are consistent issues with subject-verb agreement, article usage, and sentence structure. For example, 'i am writing letter to inform i that' is grammatically incorrect, and 'this apartment to very top on the floor' is unintelligible. The student relies almost exclusively on simple sentence structures, and attempts at more complex sentences result in significant errors. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing capital letters and incorrect spacing throughout the text.

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