Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

Dear Sir,

I hope you are well, I writing this letter for regarding my stay in the apartment. I know I had signed a agreement for six months stay but now I want to stay for a one year.

Actually I want to go another city because of some personal and professional reasons I want to rent this apartment for one year. first of all, I have to apply for my part time study and I job related to my study and which company I applied for job, they hired me and they also contract for a one year. that's why I want to stay for a longer hers.

I already I signed a contract for a job if I denied for that one job it will not only affect a job but also my reputation. I know you will be understand my problem and allow to me for staying here for one year. it will be very helpful for me.

Best regards,

ABC

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the task: stating the desired length of the extension, explaining the change in plans, and mentioning a problem in the apartment. However, the third point regarding the problem in the apartment is completely missing from your response. This is a significant omission that prevents you from fully addressing the task requirements. To improve, ensure you carefully check that every instruction in the prompt is covered. While your ideas are relevant, the lack of the third point limits your score significantly.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organised into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the logical progression of ideas is sometimes hindered by awkward phrasing and a lack of cohesive devices. For example, the transition between your job situation and the request to stay is abrupt. You rely on simple connectors like 'actually' and 'first of all', but the overall flow feels mechanical. To improve, use a wider variety of linking words such as 'consequently', 'furthermore', or 'in addition' to connect your sentences and ideas more smoothly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is quite repetitive and lacks precision. You use basic phrases like 'I want to stay' and 'I have to apply' repeatedly. There are also some errors in word choice, such as 'I writing this letter for regarding' and 'longer hers', which impede clarity. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more specific vocabulary related to renting and professional life, and focus on using words in their correct grammatical context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter, including issues with verb tenses ('I writing', 'I signed'), article usage, and sentence structure. Many sentences are fragmented or contain run-on errors, such as 'I know I had signed a agreement for six months stay but now I want to stay for a one year.' These errors require the reader to re-read to understand your meaning. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and the correct use of articles.

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

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