Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 Sir,

Hope this letter finds you well and sound. I just wandering to extend the agreement of stay in the apartment for further 6 six moth of lease.

From couple of last few weeks the requirements of works placement have had been rescheduled lately , so which ultimately made me stay to my current apartment , more precisely ; the location it saves a plentiful time of commute. Moreover, I do have made up new friends in the building.

The only problem that I do personally felt recently is with garbage picking ;especially, the odour when it is left unattendant making the pathway corrridor to downstiars bit harsh to walk through.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: the duration of the extension, the reason for the change, and the maintenance issue. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which negatively impacts the development of ideas. The explanation for the change in plans is somewhat vague, and the description of the garbage issue lacks sufficient detail to be fully effective. To improve, you should expand on your reasons and provide more context for the problem mentioned to ensure the letter is fully developed and meets the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes awkward, such as the use of 'more precisely ;' and the transition between sentences. The flow of ideas is occasionally disrupted by grammatical errors, making the progression feel mechanical. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and phrases (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in addition to this') to connect your sentences and paragraphs more naturally and logically.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'well and sound' (usually 'safe and sound'), 'garbage picking', and 'harsh to walk through'. Some word choices are repetitive or incorrectly used, such as 'requirements of works placement'. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more natural collocations and precise terminology related to renting and property maintenance, while ensuring that your word choices are appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including tense misuse ('have had been rescheduled'), subject-verb agreement issues ('I do personally felt'), and incorrect word order ('I just wandering'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the misuse of semicolons and commas. While the meaning is generally understandable, these errors are frequent and occasionally distract the reader. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence structures, ensuring consistent verb tenses, and proofreading for common errors like missing articles or incorrect prepositions.

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

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