Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-30

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)

Task 1

Dear Mr/Mrs

I am writing this letter to you because i want to expand my apartment agreement for next 4 month.

As you know, i am living in your apartment from last five mont and it is very good and perfect home for me as i held Now, i want to extend my agreement for next four month. The reason behind this is, i have placement for next couple of month in this city. So, that are starting from next month and for me it is very hard to find new room and at this reasonable price.

I am totally happy and satisfied with this house, but the one problem is the lights of washroom is not working from the last week. So, please call any electrician to find a possible solution of that

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Gushen Singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points: the duration of the extension, the reason for the change, and the maintenance issue. However, the response falls slightly short of the 150-word minimum requirement, which negatively impacts the score. While the ideas are relevant, they are somewhat under-developed. For instance, the explanation regarding the placement could be expanded to sound more professional. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord, though the lack of a specific name in the salutation is a minor oversight. To improve, ensure you provide slightly more detail to comfortably exceed the word count and fully develop your points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of ideas. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. For example, the transition 'So, that are starting...' is awkward and does not effectively link the ideas. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'as i held', which seems to be a fragment or a typo. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each sentence flows naturally into the next would significantly enhance the coherence of the writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. There are several instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'expand my apartment agreement' instead of 'extend my lease' and 'held' which is used incorrectly. The phrase 'very good and perfect home' is repetitive and lacks sophistication. While the meaning is generally clear, the range of vocabulary is limited. To achieve a higher band, you should aim to use more precise collocations related to renting, such as 'tenancy agreement', 'lease extension', or 'maintenance request'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('the lights of washroom is not working'), article usage ('the one problem is the lights'), and tense consistency ('i am living in your apartment from last five mont'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas and capitalization of 'i'. While the errors do not completely obscure the meaning, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on basic proofreading for subject-verb agreement would be beneficial.

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