Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-07-25

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 8.0)

Dear landlord,

I am writing to request additional three months extension of expiring rent agreement for the apartment located on Northway Avenue , and the maintenance issues currently prevailing in the house.

Five month ago, we signed a rent agreement for six months period; however, due to the prolonged nature of my work project, I need three additional months to complete it, resulting to stay in this city for another three months. I would be grateful if you would allow me to stay until December month. I am confident that the project work will finish on time and there would not be further request to revise the contract.

Furthermore, I would like to bring to your notice some urgent maintenance issues of the apartment. The heating system is producing irritating noise throughout the day, not allowing me to focus on my studies and disturbing my sleep. The laundry dryer machine is malfunctioning. The clothes are not getting dried and sometime, it produces excessive heat which has damaged my clothes.

I would appreciate it if you would send a technician to repair the equipment within next two days so that I can concentrate on my project work.

I am looking forward to your positive reply.

Regards,

Varsha

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points: the duration of the extension, the reason for the change, and the maintenance issues. The tone is appropriate for a formal request to a landlord. The purpose of the letter is clear from the beginning, and the ideas are developed sufficiently to meet the requirements of the task. The inclusion of specific details regarding the heating and the dryer adds clarity to the request, ensuring the landlord understands the urgency of the situation. The response is well-focused and maintains a consistent, professional tone throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for the request and the maintenance issues, and a polite closing. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate distinct topics. Cohesive devices such as 'however', 'furthermore', and 'so that' are used appropriately to link ideas. The progression of information is smooth, moving from the request for an extension to the justification, and finally to the maintenance concerns. The flow of the letter is natural and easy to follow, meeting the requirements for a well-structured piece of correspondence.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

The vocabulary is generally accurate and appropriate for the context of a formal letter. Phrases like 'prolonged nature of my work project' and 'bring to your notice' are well-chosen. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'additional three months extension of expiring rent agreement' (which would be more natural as 'an extension of my rental agreement') and 'December month' (simply 'December' is sufficient). However, these minor inaccuracies do not impede communication, and the range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning clearly and professionally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The letter demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'Five month ago' (should be 'months') and 'resulting to stay' (should be 'resulting in my staying'). Additionally, 'within next two days' requires an article ('the'). Despite these occasional errors, the majority of sentences are error-free, and the meaning is never obscured. The punctuation is generally correct, and the control over complex sentence forms is sufficient for this task level.

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