Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-25

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 Hardeep,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter about extending my six - month agreement in this renting apartment. but now I want to stay here for 1 year.

I will explain my reason that why I want to rent the apartment. you know that I am working in No Frills from six-months but now I have change my position as supervisor for full time and this store is near my apartment. I can go there with few minutes . I dont have more stress for travelling every days. That why I do not want change my apartment.

Now I tell you about some problems. the main problem is safety of people . Durning night time , I have to face many problem without any scurity gurad . In the main door , there is no light. these this I have to face during night time.

I hope you will understand these problem and you will

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter covers all three bullet points: the duration of the extension, the reason for the change in plans, and the mention of a safety problem. However, the development of these ideas is quite limited. The explanation regarding the job change is somewhat repetitive, and the description of the safety issue is vague, lacking specific details that would make the request more persuasive. The letter also ends abruptly without a proper closing or a clear call to action, which affects the overall task completion. To improve, ensure each point is fully elaborated with clear, logical sentences and include a standard formal letter closing.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is very limited and often mechanical. Transitions between sentences are frequently missing or awkward, such as 'these this I have to face' and 'That why I do not want change'. The progression of ideas is sometimes disjointed, making the flow feel unnatural. To improve, use a wider variety of linking words and phrases (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in addition') to connect ideas more smoothly and improve the overall logical flow of the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is basic and repetitive, which restricts the ability to convey the message with precision. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'renting apartment' instead of 'rented apartment' or 'apartment I am renting', and 'scurity gurad'. The range of vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main points, but it lacks the flexibility and sophistication required for higher bands. To improve, focus on learning common collocations related to housing and employment, and pay closer attention to spelling and word forms to avoid basic errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response relies heavily on simple sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with verb tenses ('I have change my position'), articles ('the main problem is safety of people'), and sentence fragments ('these this I have to face during night time'). While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar and punctuation is noticeable and occasionally forces the reader to re-read to understand the intended meaning. Increasing the use of complex sentence structures and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would significantly improve the accuracy.

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

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