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)

MR Vohra,

I am writing to request some information regarding my agreement . Now wish to stay in the apartment so I want give 1 year rent of the apartment .

I am change my mind because of your apartment is good for live and there atmospheres are so heart touching I very impressed with in 3 month . Although apartment is so near by my workplace , it help to save my time . I am engaging teenagerhood and also my neighbors are so calm and friendly. This thing are change my mind.

Apart from that , I wanted to bring up another issue Firstly, the plumbing system in the bathroom is not working properly, and the water pressure is very low. In addition, the air conditioner has stopped working, which makes the apartment uncomfortable, especially during the hot weather. I would be grateful if you could arrange for a technician to inspect and repair these problems as soon as possible.

I hope you resolved promptly . thank you for the attention to this matter

promptly

Kind Regards,

herry

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three points: you request a longer rental, give reasons for changing your plans, and report problems with the plumbing and air conditioner. The request to rent for “1 year” is clear, and the repair request is specific. Your reasons—being near work and having friendly neighbours—are relevant, but some are unclear or insufficiently explained, particularly “I am engaging teenagerhood.” The opening also asks for “some information” rather than directly stating that you want to extend the agreement, which makes your purpose less clear at first. State the extension request immediately, clarify how long you wish to stay beyond the original agreement, and develop the personal reasons in clear, relevant terms.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a recognisable overall structure: you introduce your request, explain your reasons, describe the apartment problems, and close politely. Connectors such as “Although,” “Apart from that,” and “In addition” help signal relationships between ideas. However, some links are mechanical or unclear: “This thing are change my mind” does not clearly summarise the preceding reasons, and “Firstly” is followed by another problem without a matching “Secondly.” The repeated “promptly” at the end also disrupts the closing. Use clearer paragraphing for the extension request, reasons, and repairs, and make each transition accurately reflect how the ideas relate.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for the situation, including “agreement,” “water pressure,” “air conditioner,” and “technician,” so the reader can identify the main request and maintenance issues. There are also noticeable problems with word choice and collocation that sometimes make your meaning difficult to follow. For example, “give 1 year rent” is not a natural way to describe extending a rental, while “atmospheres are so heart touching” and “I am engaging teenagerhood” do not communicate your intended reasons clearly. Aim for precise, conventional phrases for renting and describing the apartment, and check that each word expresses the meaning you intend. More accurate collocations would make your message clearer and more appropriate for a formal letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the sentence beginning “Although apartment is so near by my workplace” and the longer description of the repair problems. The plumbing and air-conditioner sentences are generally clear, showing that you can communicate some details accurately. However, some grammatical errors affect clarity, such as “Now wish to stay” (missing a subject), “I am change my mind,” and “it help to save my time.” There are also problems with articles, agreement, and sentence boundaries, as in “This thing are change my mind.” Work on consistent verb forms and subject–verb agreement, and proofread each sentence for a complete subject and verb. These changes would improve accuracy while preserving your attempts at varied structures.

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

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