Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-18

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 Owner

I Savita, currently living in your appartment in Cambridge. It been very nice livin in your apparement also really like all the amentites near appartment,

I am writing this letter to request information about my lease aggrement. As I have already signed the lease for the 6month and its about to finish but now i want to extend my lease for 1 year. As i got my full time job near my apparement. As i don't have Car, I go with bus and by living here its very easy to Catch the bus and the bus frequency are also very frequent. Also all the amenties are very near by with the walking distance, for example, walmart, Indian store, Dollarama and many more that's why i really like this place and don't want to leave from here, would like to stay here more and experience more.

I only have one concern about the apartment is that there is a water leakege in our washroom shower, that sometimes very irritate as, it waste lots of water which results in high water bill this is my only concern i hopw you will understand and will try to fix this as soon as possible.

Yours faithfully

Best wishes

Savita

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The letter covers all three required points: you request a one-year extension, explain that you have found full-time work nearby and value the transport and local shops, and report a leaking shower. These details make your reasons relevant and give the owner a clear understanding of your request. The purpose is apparent, although “request information about my lease agreement” is less direct than asking the owner to renew or extend it. The problem is identified, but its impact and the action you want the owner to take could be stated more clearly. The response fully meets the core task and shows some development, but the explanation and request are not consistently precise or fully extended.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The information follows a generally sensible order: you introduce yourself and the apartment, explain the extension request, give your reasons, and then mention the repair issue. The reader can follow the overall message. However, most of the letter is presented in one long paragraph, and several ideas are joined with repeated “As,” “Also,” and “that's why,” making the progression feel mechanical. The opening and closing also combine competing conventions: “Dear Owner” is followed by “Yours faithfully” and “Best wishes.” Use separate paragraphs for the request, reasons, and maintenance issue, and choose one suitable sign-off. Clearer sentence boundaries and more varied linking would make the organisation easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough relevant vocabulary to communicate the main points, including “lease,” “full time job,” “bus frequency,” and “water bill.” However, spelling errors and imprecise or repetitive expressions are noticeable and sometimes make the reader pause: “appartment,” “amentites,” “leakege,” and “very frequent” are examples. Phrases such as “request information about my lease agreement” and “stay here more and experience more” do not express your intended meaning as naturally or precisely as they could. Aim for accurate spelling and more specific collocations, such as “request a lease extension” and “the shower is leaking.” This would strengthen the range and control of vocabulary while keeping the message clear.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The letter attempts both simple and more extended sentence forms, particularly when explaining why you want to stay. However, complex sentences are often not controlled successfully, and errors in verb forms, sentence boundaries, articles, and agreement recur. For example, “It been very nice livin” needs a subject and auxiliary, while “As I have already signed the lease for the 6month and its about to finish” is an incomplete, awkwardly joined construction. In “the bus frequency are,” the subject and verb do not agree. Several long sentences also run together without clear punctuation. Practise forming complete sentences with accurate tense and agreement, then divide the reasons into shorter units; this will make your meaning easier to process.

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

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