Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-07

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 today,

I am writing this letter to inform you that I am willing to stay in this apartment life time until I found my own. As I signed agreement paper for six-month renting on this apartment.

Now I would like to stay in this house due to my university is a walking distance from the apartment. There are many entertaining area which I supposed to enjoy myself whenever I stressed. So I changed my mind and live here.

However, there is a bit problem in the kitchen. The sink flood water continously and making my floor wet everyday. As I am a student I can not manage this problem by own.

I wish you understand my problem and arrange me a plumber. Please ensure the timing and day when the plumber arrives so I can stay in home.

I am very delightful for your act of kindness.

Yours sincerely,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points: the duration of the extension, the reason for the change in plans, and the maintenance issue. However, the development of these points is somewhat limited. The phrase 'life time' is unrealistic for a rental request, and the explanation regarding the university and entertainment areas is slightly disjointed. While the tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, the lack of a specific timeframe (e.g., 'another six months') makes the request vague. To improve, ensure that the purpose of the letter is stated clearly and realistically, and provide more cohesive explanations for your requests.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate. For example, the transition 'So I changed my mind and live here' is abrupt and lacks a smooth connection to the previous sentences. Additionally, the referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the sentence 'I wish you understand my problem,' where the connection between the request and the preceding information could be more fluid. Improving the variety of linking words would enhance the flow of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several instances of awkward word choices or incorrect collocations, such as 'agreement paper' instead of 'tenancy agreement,' 'life time' instead of 'indefinitely' or 'a longer period,' and 'I am very delightful' instead of 'I would be very grateful.' These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the score. To reach a higher band, focus on using more natural collocations and precise terminology related to renting and maintenance issues.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('due to my university is'), missing articles ('in kitchen'), and incorrect verb forms ('I supposed to enjoy'). Some sentences are also fragmented or poorly constructed, such as 'As I signed agreement paper for six-month renting on this apartment.' While the meaning remains clear, the frequency of these errors is noticeable. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors like missing articles and verb tenses will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.