Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-23

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 hope this letter will finds you in the best of your health.I am writing to request to stay on this apartment long for about six month.I am satisfied and happy living in this house,because my family make memorable moment here and there is no noise around ,everythinks looks so peaceful.First,we are thinking to change a home but we are happy here adjusted here.so please let us stay six month longer than agreement.one problem I would mention the sewage system is not very good.

A bad smell comes throughout the whole day, that's why some time we fed up.I would be very thankful if you take some reaction about sewage system and make a proper arrangement itsb drainage.

Finally,let me know about your earliest convenience

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address all three required points: you request a further six months, explain that you and your family are happy in the apartment, and report a sewage problem causing a bad smell. These details make the purpose clear. However, the explanation for changing your plans is brief and somewhat unclear: “First, we are thinking to change a home but we are happy here adjusted here” does not clearly explain what changed or why. The problem is identified, but you could describe its impact more precisely and make a clear request for repair. The response is also 23 words below the required minimum, so the ideas remain under-developed. Add relevant detail about your intended end date, changed circumstances, and the action you would like the owner to take.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter follows a generally understandable order: it opens with the request, gives a reason for staying, raises the sewage issue, and closes by asking for a response. Basic linking expressions such as “First” and “Finally” help signal movement between points. However, the response is presented as one continuous paragraph, so the separate purposes of the letter are not clearly organised. Some links are also awkward or repetitive, particularly “we are happy here adjusted here,” which makes the progression difficult to follow. Use separate paragraphs for the extension request and explanation, the apartment problem, and the closing. Clearer transitions and references would help the reader follow the message without having to interpret the connections.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough relevant vocabulary to communicate the main topics, including “six month longer,” “bad smell,” and “sewage system.” There are also attempts to express personal reasons, such as “memorable moment” and “peaceful.” However, the range is limited, and several word choices or collocations sound unnatural or make the meaning less clear: “stay on this apartment,” “take some reaction,” and “proper arrangement itsb drainage.” Spelling and word-form errors, including “everythinks,” also affect accuracy. Choose more precise phrases for a formal request and for describing the repair needed. For example, you could say that you would like to “extend the tenancy” and ask the owner to “arrange an inspection of the drainage system.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and longer sentence forms, and the reader can generally understand the main message. However, errors occur frequently in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction. For example, “this letter will finds” should be “this letter will find,” while “my family make” needs subject–verb agreement (“my family makes”). The phrase “we are thinking to change a home” also needs a different verb pattern, such as “we were thinking of moving.” Punctuation and spacing are inconsistent, with sentences running together after full stops. Practise checking each sentence for a clear subject and verb, and use shorter, accurately punctuated sentences before attempting more complex structures.

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

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