Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-08
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 brown,
I am writting a letter regarging, I know you renting an apartment on six month agreement but because of some circumstances, I want to stay longer because of my job.I want to stay for six month more if you agree.
Before I just came here in this city with six month job offer but now my boss offered me six month more to stay in this job,That is the reason I want to stay longer in your apartment.I know I already made an agreement with you five months ago, but now because of my boss wishes I should to stay longer in this job to help some problems.
On more thing,I know should tell you before but I was so busy in my office work that's why I alway forget to tell you that I facing a problem in the apartment that is door sometimes door lock does not work properly. if you can sent a person to fix the door lock that will be really appriciated.
I waiting to hear back from you.
Your sincerely,
Pawandeep.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
You address all three required points: you request a further six months, explain that your employer has extended your job, and report that the door lock does not work reliably. The purpose is clear and the details are relevant. The explanation of your changed plans is the strongest part, with the original six-month job offer contrasted against your boss’s new offer. However, the request could be more fully developed by stating when the extension would begin or asking the owner to confirm whether it is possible. The repair request is understandable but brief; you could explain how often the lock fails or why it needs attention. This covers the task well overall, with some details less fully developed than others.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The letter has a sensible overall structure: you make the rental request, explain the change in your plans, raise the maintenance issue, and close by inviting a reply. Paragraphing helps distinguish these points, and phrases such as “That is the reason” make the relationship between ideas clear. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear, particularly “On more thing” and the long sentence beginning “I know should tell you before.” Several ideas are joined with commas rather than clearly separated, which makes the progression harder to follow. Use a more conventional opening for each paragraph and divide longer sentences so that each point is easy to process.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use enough relevant vocabulary to communicate the main message, including “six month agreement,” “job offer,” “stay longer,” and “door lock.” The reader can understand the request and the problem. However, the range is limited, and several spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable, such as “writting,” “regarging,” “alway,” and “appriciated.” Some phrases are also unnatural for a formal letter, including “because of my boss wishes” and “sent a person.” These errors sometimes make the wording less clear or polished. Build a small set of accurate rental and maintenance expressions, and check spelling and collocations before submitting.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt both simple and longer sentence forms, for example, “Before I just came here in this city with six month job offer but now my boss offered me six month more.” This shows an effort to explain events and reasons, but many sentences contain errors in verb forms, articles, agreement, and sentence construction. Examples include “I should to stay,” “I facing a problem,” and “I waiting to hear back.” Commas also join complete ideas in places where full stops or conjunctions are needed. These recurring problems can make the reader pause, even though the intended meaning is generally recoverable. Practise accurate present and past forms, and edit each sentence for a clear subject and verb.
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