Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-24

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 KIM,

I am writing this to request you to allow me to stay at the current aparment for more than 6 months.

I want to stay in the appartment for 1 year starting from next month as I got job offer letter near by our appartment so it will be convenient for me to travel to my workplace, I will start working there from next week so I do not have enough time to shift my stuff from here to other place so that is why I wish if I can stay here.

As this is very nice place to live in and all the aminities is near by so I prefer to stay here.

But is one problem I am facing in the appartment is water blockage in bathroom, I appriciate if you could fix that problem.

I hope we can sign new rental aggrement as soon as possible.

Hope you here from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Julie

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the task: stating the desired extension length, explaining the change in plans, and reporting the maintenance issue. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a landlord. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation regarding the job offer is a bit repetitive, and the request for the extension could be more formally structured. To improve, ensure that each point is fully expanded with clear, distinct sentences rather than long, run-on clauses. Overall, the purpose of the letter is clear and the reader understands your requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter follows a logical progression, moving from the request to the explanation and finally the maintenance issue. However, the paragraphing is insufficient; the entire body of the letter is presented as one large block of text. Using clear paragraph breaks for each distinct point would significantly improve the readability and structure. Additionally, the use of cohesive devices is quite basic (e.g., 'and', 'so', 'but'). Incorporating a wider range of linking words such as 'consequently', 'furthermore', or 'in addition' would help the flow of your ideas and elevate the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary to complete the task, such as 'convenient', 'workplace', and 'amenities'. However, there are several spelling errors throughout the text, including 'aparment', 'appartment', 'aminities', 'appriciate', and 'aggrement'. These errors are frequent enough to be noticeable. Furthermore, some word choices are slightly imprecise, such as 'shift my stuff' instead of 'move my belongings'. To reach a higher band, focus on accurate spelling and using more precise, formal vocabulary suitable for a professional request letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

Your writing relies heavily on simple sentence structures and run-on sentences connected by 'and' or 'so'. For example, the second sentence is a long, complex string of clauses that lacks proper punctuation. There are also grammatical errors, such as 'all the aminities is near by' (subject-verb agreement) and 'Hope you here from you soon' (incorrect verb form and phrasing). While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of control over complex sentence structures and frequent minor errors in grammar and punctuation limit your score. Focus on using shorter, clearer sentences and proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement.

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