Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 doing well. I am writing a letter related to renting appartment. Iam living in your apartment from last six months because of our lease condition but due to a nice place I am thinking to continue my staying more than six month like half year.

furthermore, because I am living from ast six month I am thinking I am being familiar with this place . This is a quite place in my view . I organised by my taste so when I came back from my work then i feel relax here and enjoying my place that is the reason why i want to stay long here.

Moreover, to be very honest I am the person who is not good in managing the thing but when i was shifted here the atmoshpere and all the facilities near by this appartment so it is not consuming lots of time to takes things its less expensive for me so i want to increased my lease contract .

Thanks for the understanding

Nill scotch.

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 mentioning a problem. However, the third point regarding the apartment problem is missing; you mention that you are 'not good in managing the thing' and discuss the atmosphere, but you fail to identify a specific maintenance or structural issue (e.g., a leaking tap or broken heater) as requested. To improve, ensure each bullet point is clearly and explicitly addressed. The tone is generally appropriate for a letter to a landlord, though it could be more formal.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your ideas. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes disjointed. You use some cohesive devices like 'furthermore' and 'moreover', but they are occasionally used incorrectly or feel mechanical. The referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly in the second paragraph where the connection between your personal habits and the desire to stay longer is not fully logical. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring each paragraph has a clear, singular focus would significantly enhance the flow of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your basic needs. However, there are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice, such as 'I am living in your apartment from last six months' and 'I am the person who is not good in managing the thing'. These errors occasionally make the text sound unnatural. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive or vague language. Expanding your range of descriptive adjectives and formal expressions would also be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter, including issues with verb tenses ('I am living... from last six months'), article usage, and sentence structure. For example, 'I want to increased my lease contract' contains an incorrect verb form. While the meaning is generally clear, these errors are persistent and affect the overall fluency of the text. You rely mostly on simple sentence structures; incorporating a wider variety of complex sentences with accurate punctuation would help demonstrate better control over your grammar.

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

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