Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-15

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!

Hope you are doing well. I want to discuss my some major problems and my wish with you that's why i am writing a letter to you. As you know five months ago I started renting an apartment on a six month agreement. Now I wish to stay in the apartment for longer than six months. I gives you reason why i want to stay here more. its nearest located to my office. I already did 10 hours shift of working hours however if I leave this apartment there is no another apparent are available to nearest my office. I searched on Google but I found 2 hours along drive from my office. if I will shift another apartment two hours are required to reach the office which takes a lot of time. i can't manage it .

In contrast yours apartment is air friendly i dont feel any type of suffocation here. that why my plans are changed and i want to stay here more than six months.

The only problem that i faced here is shortages of gas I requested to you please resolved this problem. and allow me to stay here more than six months. I will be very thankful to you for this kind act.

yours sincerely,

x,y,z

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the task: stating the desired extension length, explaining the change in plans, and reporting the gas issue. However, the development of these points is somewhat limited. The explanation regarding your commute is repetitive and slightly confusing, and the tone is inconsistent for a formal letter to a landlord. To improve, ensure your ideas are presented more clearly and maintain a professional, polite tone throughout. While you have covered the requirements, the lack of formal register and some awkward phrasing prevent a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the logical progression between ideas is sometimes weak. For example, the transition between discussing your commute and the apartment's air quality is abrupt. You rely on basic cohesive devices like 'and' or 'but', and some referencing is unclear, such as 'that why my plans are changed'. To reach a higher band, use a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in addition') to connect your sentences and ideas more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety expected at higher levels. You use basic terms like 'major problems', 'good', and 'resolved'. There are also some unnatural collocations, such as 'air friendly' and 'two hours along drive'. To improve, focus on learning more sophisticated synonyms and correct collocations for formal correspondence. For instance, instead of 'air friendly', you might describe the apartment as having 'excellent ventilation' or being 'well-ventilated'. Expanding your range of topic-specific vocabulary will help you communicate more effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('I gives you', 'plans are changed'), incorrect article usage ('no another apparent'), and sentence structure errors ('if I will shift another apartment two hours are required'). While you attempt some complex structures, they are often inaccurate. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and correct verb tenses. Proofreading your work for these common errors before submitting will significantly improve the accuracy and readability of your writing.

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.