Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-02

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 Mr Smith,

I am writing to request you for extending my current renting agreement and

Considering the situation and the compatibility of your apartment, I am requesting you to renew the tenant agreement to further 6 months.

my company has assigned me a new project which required me to stay in the city.

just wanted to let you know some of the minor repairs that require immediate attention for its fix . Firstly, one of the bedroom's window is not closing adequately making it difficult for me to avoid street noise specially during the peak day hours. Additionally, the kitchen water taps has started leaking, kindly provide me a contact number of any plumber so that water leakage issue can be resolved accordingly.

Thank You

Your faithfully

Vikrant

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 the maintenance issues. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum, which limits the development of ideas. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, but the brevity prevents a fully professional or polite flow. To improve, you should expand on the reasons for your stay and provide more detail regarding the maintenance requests to ensure the letter meets the length requirement and demonstrates a more thorough engagement with the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is divided into short, somewhat disjointed paragraphs. While there is a basic logical progression, the transitions between ideas are abrupt. The use of cohesive devices is limited; for example, 'Firstly' is used, but there is no corresponding 'Secondly' or a smooth transition to the final point. The paragraphing is inconsistent, with some sentences standing alone as paragraphs. To improve, use more varied linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence to guide the reader through your request.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is functional but basic. There are some awkward collocations, such as 'request you for extending' (should be 'request an extension') and 'for its fix' (should be 'to be fixed'). The range of vocabulary is limited, relying on simple descriptors. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise terminology related to property management and formal correspondence, such as 'tenancy agreement,' 'maintenance issues,' or 'rectify the problem,' rather than relying on general terms like 'minor repairs' or 'fix'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are several grammatical errors that affect the flow of the letter. Examples include 'required me to stay' (should be 'requires me to stay'), 'one of the bedroom's window' (should be 'one of the bedroom windows'), and 'taps has started' (should be 'taps have started'). The sentence structure is mostly simple, with few attempts at complex sentences. The closing 'Your faithfully' is also incorrect; it should be 'Yours faithfully'. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent verb tenses will significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.

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

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