Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-29

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,

I am writhing this letter for informing about that, i want to rent the apartment again for long period of time. I am planning to stay here for around one year.

In addition the reason for changing the plan because of my work preference. I got a new job close to this apartment. Moreover, i try to look for another one,,but i find it quite expensive compared to the one i am staying.

however, the main issue i find in your apartment is that the usage of laundry. its difficult for me to use the outside laundry services daily. apart from that, i fond of your apartment and its atomosphere.

I am kindly requesting you to make a new renting agreement for this apartment. I am hoping for a positive response from your side.

yours faithfully

Anju

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: the duration of the extension, the reason for the change, and a maintenance issue. However, the response is under the 150-word minimum, which significantly impacts the development of ideas. The explanation regarding the laundry issue is slightly unclear, as it is not explicitly stated whether you are requesting a washing machine or a change in building policy. To improve, ensure you expand on your points to meet the length requirement and provide more specific details to ensure the reader fully understands your request.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'Moreover', and 'however', but these are sometimes used incorrectly or with awkward punctuation (e.g., 'another one,,but'). The progression of ideas is generally logical, but the flow is occasionally interrupted by grammatical errors and informal phrasing. To improve, focus on using transition words more accurately and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus to enhance the overall readability of your correspondence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for a semi-formal letter, but it lacks variety and precision. There are several spelling errors, such as 'writhing' instead of 'writing' and 'atomosphere' instead of 'atmosphere'. Additionally, phrases like 'the usage of laundry' are unnatural; a more precise term would be 'laundry facilities'. You rely on basic vocabulary, which limits your ability to express your needs with sophistication. Expanding your range of collocations and checking your spelling will help you achieve a higher band score in this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors that occasionally impede communication. For example, 'I am writhing this letter for informing about that' is grammatically incorrect and awkward. There are also consistent issues with article usage ('the one i am staying') and subject-verb agreement. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas and capitalization of 'I'. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors in tense and word order.

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

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