Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-18

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.Sharma ,

I am writing this letter about the change in the agreement period. We made a formal contract for 183 days but now I wanted to increase the period and make it for 1 year.

I am willing to take this rental apartment for about 365 days . This is estimated time for it , If I want to make further changes in this then will update you regarding it.

At first I came here for my work purpose , I thought my job will take half of year or less than that. Although task is completed , I want to stay here in this city for longer period. I am start to liking this city so much and I really keen to explore the places here.

There is one problem in this apartment ,since I come here. This is light problem .Electricity is very problematic in this apartment as my every tasks remains incomplete . Moreover , there is also need of something to seat in such as sofa or couch.

I will be thankful to you , if you consider my request as well as complaints and try your best way to solve it .

Yours faithfully ,

mustakim

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The candidate successfully covers all bullet points required in the task instructions. First, the desired length of stay is clearly stated as one year or 365 days, revising the original six-month agreement. Second, the change in plans is explained by noting that although the initial work purpose has concluded, the writer has grown to like the city and wishes to explore further. Third, a specific problem in the apartment concerning electricity and lighting is highlighted, along with an additional request for furniture such as a sofa or couch. All parts of the prompt are addressed appropriately with relevant details, though the tone and formatting occasionally feel slightly informal or repetitive in the timeframes mentioned.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, with each paragraph addressing a distinct aspect of the prompt, such as the lease extension, the reasons for changing plans, and the apartment maintenance issue. Cohesive devices are used, though some transitions are basic or mechanical, such as 'At first I came here' and 'Moreover'. Referencing is generally clear, but paragraphing could be improved by combining shorter, single-sentence paragraphs to enhance the overall flow of the letter. Overall arrangement is coherent and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for a general correspondence task, such as 'formal contract', 'rental apartment', and 'explore the places'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as writing 'I am start to liking this city so much' instead of 'I am starting to like this city very much' and 'as my every tasks remains incomplete' instead of 'tasks remain incomplete'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with mixed success, but meaning remains clear throughout the communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writing demonstrates a mix of simple and some complex sentence forms, but control over grammar and punctuation is inconsistent. There are several grammatical errors, including tense and verb form inaccuracies like 'now I wanted to increase' instead of 'now I want to increase', 'This is estimated time for it' missing an article, and 'since I come here' instead of 'since I came here'. Punctuation errors are also present, such as spaces before commas. While these errors do not impede communication, they restrict the grammar score to a solid band 5.5.

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

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