Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-17
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,
I am Krishna Parekh and writing to you this letter for the exten my six-month of agreement. Apartment no 12 where i live on rent on a six-month fo agreement.
Some unwilling emergency occurred at my workplace, so I have to stay here a bit longer than six months. I want to extend my agreement for another six months. so I get enough time to complete my work.
Suddenly, our client changed their requirements. so i have to fulfil their requirements also i have to create new ideas according to that. so, it will take some time to complete.
This apartment has all the facilities like it is near to my workplace also market is very close, but sometimes in the apartment I face some problems like power cuts and water shortage.
I look forward to your response.
Your faithfuly,
Krishna.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all three bullet points required by the prompt: you state how long you wish to extend the rental (another six months), explain why your plans changed (client requirements changed at work), and mention a problem in the apartment (power cuts and water shortage). However, the tone is somewhat inconsistent and abrupt, and the length requirement has not been met, as the text contains only 143 words, falling short of the 150-word minimum. This minor under-length penalty, combined with slightly underdeveloped development of ideas, places this criterion at Band 5.5. To improve, ensure you fully expand on each bullet point with greater detail and always check your word count before finishing.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The letter is structured with paragraphs, and there is a basic logical progression from introducing yourself and the purpose of the letter to the reasons for extension and the apartment problems. However, paragraphing is fragmented, particularly with very short, disjointed sentences and isolated single-sentence paragraphs like 'Suddenly, our client changed their requirements.' Cohesive devices are minimal and sometimes inaccurate, such as starting sentences with lowercase letters or abrupt conjunctions ('so, it will take some time'). Overall organisation is present, but cohesion is faulty and mechanical, making Band 5.0 the most appropriate descriptor for this criterion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your message, but the range is limited and repetitive. You attempted less common phrases such as 'unwilling emergency' and 'power cuts and water shortage', but there are noticeable word-choice errors and awkward collocations, such as 'exten my six-month of agreement' instead of 'extension of my six-month agreement'. Spelling is generally acceptable, but frequent lexical inaccuracies and basic phrasing restrict the score. To push into higher bands, incorporate more precise academic or formal business vocabulary and ensure accurate word forms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
You demonstrate an attempt at a mix of simple and complex sentences, but grammatical accuracy is weak throughout the letter. There are multiple structural and punctuation errors, such as missing subject-pronoun combinations ('and writing to you this letter'), missing articles ('market is very close'), and fragment sentences punctuated incorrectly with periods instead of commas (e.g., 'owner. Apartment no 12 where i live...'). Capitalisation rules are also frequently ignored ('i live', 'so i have'). Because these frequent errors cause occasional difficulty and distraction for the reader, a Band 5.0 is awarded.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.