Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-21
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 Krishna Gupta ,
i hope you are doing well , in this letter i want to say that i rented your apartment on six months agreement . But i have some problem regarding my Transfer in other city .Actually , i was selected in the post of Area Manager in northern Region. But the thing is that the office is under construction so my company ask me to shift after November 2026 so i have to stay around 11 months in same apartment .Hope you understand my situation . i have already told you the problems in the apartment like Plumbing issue and there is some issues with laundry so please shot out this problems through this i will stay 9 months without any problem. after November i will move to other city and leave your apartment , and i also pay all the rents .
thanking you
Leo Kumar
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The letter addresses all three bullet points: the duration of the extension, the reason for the change, and the maintenance issue. However, the development of these points is somewhat inconsistent. The explanation regarding the office construction is a bit confusing, and the request for repairs is phrased in a way that sounds slightly demanding rather than polite. While the tone is generally appropriate for a formal request, it lacks the polish expected for a higher band. The purpose of the letter is clear, but the ideas could be expanded with more natural phrasing to better suit the context of a tenant-landlord relationship.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The letter is organized into a single block of text, which lacks proper paragraphing. This makes the flow of information feel cluttered. While there is a logical progression from the request to the explanation and finally the maintenance issue, the lack of paragraph breaks hinders the overall structure. Cohesive devices are used, but they are often basic or slightly misused, such as the repetitive use of 'But' to start sentences. To improve, you should use clear paragraph breaks for each main point and employ a wider variety of linking words to connect your ideas more smoothly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. You rely on common words and phrases, and there are some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'shot out' instead of 'sort out' or 'resolve'. Additionally, there are issues with capitalization (e.g., 'northern Region') and punctuation. While the meaning is generally clear, the range of vocabulary is limited, and there is little evidence of less common lexical items or idiomatic expressions that would demonstrate a higher level of proficiency. Focus on using more precise verbs and professional terminology.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The letter contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. Common issues include incorrect verb tenses ('my company ask me'), missing articles ('in other city'), and inconsistent capitalization. Punctuation is also problematic, with spaces appearing before commas and periods. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to distract the reader and indicate a lack of control over basic grammatical rules. You need to focus on subject-verb agreement, proper sentence construction, and standard punctuation conventions.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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