Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-04

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 Mr Ali,

I am writing to express my interest in extending our apartment contract for one month.

I would like to explain you that previously we made an agreement for six-month rent on this apartment. Although, I understand the terms and conditions, I request you to extend this contract for further one month.

I want to explain you the reasons why I have changed my plans. I already found a new apartment, but it is not yet furnished. There are some issues related to water pipelines. Additionally, it was not fully painted.

I have a family with me. I can understand it would be difficult for you to adjust in the last month of contract, Unfortunately, I am helpless at this moment.

It would be great if you accept our request for extension. I hope you will reply me as early as possible.

I look forward to hearing from you

Yours sincerely

xyz

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the task: the duration of the extension, the reason for the change in plans, and a mention of a maintenance issue. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation regarding the water pipelines is vague and does not clearly link to why the apartment is currently uninhabitable or why it necessitates an extension. To improve, you should provide more specific details about the maintenance issue to make your request more persuasive and professional.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure of your request. You use some basic cohesive devices like 'Although', 'Additionally', and 'Furthermore'. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical. For example, the transition between explaining the new apartment's condition and the request for an extension feels abrupt. Using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus would improve the overall logical progression of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your needs clearly. You use some appropriate phrases such as 'express my interest' and 'terms and conditions'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'I am helpless at this moment', which sounds slightly unnatural in this context. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise collocations related to property rental and formal requests, moving beyond basic vocabulary to demonstrate a more flexible range of language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors. For example, 'I would like to explain you' is incorrect; it should be 'I would like to explain to you'. Additionally, 'reply me' should be 'reply to me'. There are also minor issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on verb patterns and preposition usage will help improve your accuracy.

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

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