Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

Dear, Sir

Well, I wanted to tell you about a rental apartment. After a long time, I came to Pakistan, but there is no rental apartment here. I want a rental apartment for nine months. I have no house because my family live in Canada; that's why I want to tell you about my family. We are three people

I have one kid; his name is Usman. He is a good boy.

Secondly, my son is sick due to bad weather conditions; I changed my mind. There are a few problems in the apartment; the rooms are so small

. No trace of open air, including the washroom, and the condition is messy and unclean. I use the washroom; it is too small, no sitting properly

Finally, I have to go to another apartment with my suit table condition

I hope that you will understand my situation. Thanks for the apartment

. See you next time

Yours obediently

Arqam awan

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter covers all three bullet points, but the development of ideas is weak and often confusing. While you mention wanting to stay for nine months and explain that your son is sick, the narrative is disjointed. The explanation regarding your family in Canada is irrelevant to the task of extending a rental agreement. Furthermore, the description of the apartment problems is vague and contradictory; you state the rooms are small and messy, but then suggest you are looking for another apartment, which contradicts the primary goal of the letter, which is to request an extension of your current lease. The tone is also inconsistent for a formal request to a landlord.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The letter lacks a logical flow. While you use some transition words like 'Secondly' and 'Finally', they do not connect the ideas effectively. The paragraphing is erratic, with single-sentence paragraphs that disrupt the structure. The progression of ideas is difficult to follow because the sentences often jump between unrelated topics, such as your family's location and the condition of the washroom. Referencing is also unclear; for example, it is not always obvious what 'that' or 'it' refers to in your sentences. A more structured approach with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each point, and a formal conclusion is needed.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive. You rely on basic words like 'good', 'bad', and 'small'. There are several instances of awkward word choice, such as 'suit table condition' (likely meant 'suitable') and 'no trace of open air'. These errors occasionally make it difficult for the reader to understand your exact meaning. To improve, you should focus on using more precise adjectives and nouns related to housing and formal correspondence. You also struggle with collocations, such as 'no sitting properly', which sounds unnatural in English.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter, including issues with subject-verb agreement ('my family live'), article usage, and sentence structure. Many sentences are fragmented or run-on, which impacts the clarity of your message. You use mostly simple sentence structures, and attempts at more complex sentences often result in errors, such as 'I have no house because my family live in Canada; that's why I want to tell you about my family.' Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas and periods. You need to focus on basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors.

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

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