Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-07

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 6.5)

Dear Madam,

I am writing to you to request staying in this apartment a little longer than we agreed.

If it is possible, I would like to reconsider my rent period and to stay here for additional 6 months.

I realized that I will not have enough time soon for searching something else, as I thought. There are happened some unpredictable thing which make me ask to rent the place for longer time. A few days ago I have got noticed that in a 1 week at my work will start a long busy season when I will have to deal with busy schedule and short deadlines. Therefore, I suppose that at that period I will not be able to spend my limited time and little efforts on trying to find a new apartment.

Additionaly, I am supposed to tell you about a problem that has happened to me recently. I have tried to solve it by myself, however that did not handle it. A water boiler stopped working yesterday in the whole building, therefore I am not able to take a shower. Then I found a contact in the government to compain about it, but turned out they are not responsible for this. I suggest you may have some useful contacts which can help me, so please share them with me.

Please let me know about your decision. Thank you in advance.

Yours sincerely,

Anna Vardanyan

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The letter addresses all three requirements clearly: you request a further six months, explain that an upcoming busy season at work has changed your plans, and report that the building’s water boiler has stopped working. The reason for extending your stay is relevant and supported with details about deadlines and limited time to search. The problem is also explained, including your unsuccessful attempt to resolve it. To make the response more fully developed, state more directly what action you want the owner to take—for example, arranging a repair or contacting the building manager. The request for “useful contacts” is understandable, but leaves the owner’s responsibility and the practical next step somewhat open.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter has a clear progression: you make the extension request, explain the change in your circumstances, describe the apartment problem, and close politely. Paragraphing helps distinguish these purposes, and linking expressions such as “Therefore” and “however” guide the reader through the explanation. Some connections are less smooth: “Additionaly, I am supposed to tell you” sounds like a mechanical transition, while the sequence from the boiler failure to contacting a government office could be made more direct. Use transitions that reflect the relationship between ideas, and keep each paragraph focused on one main purpose. Overall, the organisation is logical and the reader can follow your message without difficulty.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the letter, including relevant expressions such as “busy season,” “short deadlines,” and “unpredictable.” These help explain your circumstances and the maintenance issue. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “reconsider my rent period,” “There are happened,” and “got noticed.” “Compain” is also misspelled, and “in a 1 week” is not a natural expression. These slips do not prevent the reader from understanding your main points, but they reduce precision and fluency. Aim for common, natural combinations—for example, “extend my rental agreement,” “I was informed,” and “make a complaint”—and check spelling before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including a reason clause with “as I thought” and a time clause beginning “when I will have to deal with.” The message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors occur in sentence construction, verb forms, and agreement. For example, “There are happened some unpredictable thing” has an incorrect verb pattern and singular/plural mismatch; “I have got noticed” is not a correct passive construction; and “in a 1 week at my work will start” has an unclear clause structure. Review past and present perfect forms, subject–verb agreement, and how to form passive sentences. More accurate control of these patterns would make your explanations easier to read.

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

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