Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-12
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 owner,
I am writing this letter to inform you that since six months I have signed the agreement to live in this apartment but now i want to stay more time in this building.
I want to extend my lease in this apartment form six months to one year. The reason behind this is that my duty is transferred to another location which is near about this apartment. Even i can not only save my precious time but also money as well. As this building is on waking distance from my office. All the facilities are good in this location.
In this building also have some issues related with electricity or wifi. Sometimes, I have to do my office work online but due to electricity problem I cannot complete my office work on time and have to face challenges at workplace.
Date: 2026 august,12
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The letter addresses all three bullet points: the duration of the extension, the reason for the change, and the mention of a maintenance issue. However, the response is slightly under the 150-word minimum, which negatively impacts the score. The ideas are relevant but somewhat underdeveloped; for instance, the explanation regarding the office transfer is clear, but the description of the apartment issues is a bit vague. To improve, you should expand on the specific nature of the electricity and Wi-Fi problems to provide a more complete picture for the landlord. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, though the opening and closing need more conventional structure.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The letter is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of ideas. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and limited. Phrases like 'The reason behind this is' and 'In this building also have' are used to link ideas, but the flow between sentences is occasionally choppy. The referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the sentence 'In this building also have some issues', which lacks a proper subject. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring each sentence clearly connects to the previous one would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You use basic terms like 'good' and 'problems' repeatedly. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'near about this apartment' and 'waking distance' (likely meant 'walking distance'). While the meaning is generally clear, the range of vocabulary is limited, and there are minor errors in word choice that slightly hinder the professional tone of the letter. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more specific vocabulary related to housing and professional communication, such as 'tenancy agreement' or 'intermittent connectivity'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. For example, 'since six months I have signed the agreement' is incorrect; it should be 'I signed the agreement six months ago'. There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and article usage, such as 'In this building also have some issues'. Punctuation is inconsistent, particularly with the date format and capitalization of 'i'. While these errors do not completely prevent understanding, they occur frequently enough to impact the clarity and professional quality of the text.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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