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 Sir,

I am writing to request you that now I would like to extend my rental apartment lease, which was before leased for six months. Currently I am planning to extend my lease period from six months to a one year.

The reason why I am going to continue staying in this house is that I have enrolled in the cockery course in conestoga college. Therefore, this can be easy for me to commute as the college is at walking distance to the house.

The amenities provided in the apartment is really beneficial. However, I have seen the problem in the washing machine from last month. I could see that a water for the washing

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address the main purpose by asking to extend the rental and stating a one-year period, and you give a relevant reason: your cookery course is at a nearby college. You also introduce the washing-machine problem, so all three requested points are touched on. However, the explanation of the problem is cut off at “a water for the washing,” leaving the owner without a clear account of what is wrong or what action you want. The reason for changing your plans is also brief and could be explained more fully. The response is 34 words below the required minimum, which limits how fully you can develop these points. Add a complete description of the fault and a polite request for repair.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a generally clear sequence: you make the request, explain your changed plans, and then mention an apartment issue. Paragraph breaks help distinguish these purposes, and linking expressions such as “Therefore” and “However” show the relationship between ideas. This gives the response a coherent overall arrangement. However, the final paragraph ends abruptly, so the problem is not connected to a clear request or conclusion. The opening also combines several details about the original and proposed lease in one sentence, making the request less direct than it could be. Use a separate closing paragraph to state what you would like the owner to do and to thank them for considering the extension.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the situation, including “extend my lease period,” “commute,” and “amenities,” and the reader can understand the general purpose of the letter. There are also attempts at more specific language, such as naming the college course and the washing machine. However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unclear: “request you that” is not a natural way to make this request, “cockery” is misspelled, and “a water for the washing” does not communicate the fault. “The amenities provided … is really beneficial” is also imprecise in meaning. Choose standard rental expressions and describe the appliance problem with concrete vocabulary, such as water leaking or failing to drain.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple statements and more complex forms, including the relative clause in “which was before leased for six months” and the reason clause beginning “The reason why… is that…”. These attempts show some range, and the main message is usually understandable. However, several grammatical patterns need more control. In “I am writing to request you that,” the verb pattern is faulty; “the amenities … is” has subject–verb disagreement; and “from last month” does not express the intended time relationship correctly. The final sentence is incomplete, which prevents the problem from being understood. Practise accurate request structures, agreement with plural subjects, and complete sentences, then proofread for articles and prepositions.

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