Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

Dear Mr Keem,

I hope this finds you well, my aim in writing this letter is to inform you I would love to prolong my lease on my studio apartment .

A while a ago , I had initially thought my stay in this new city would be temporary but since, I have falling love with this city and have gotten a permanent position as a full time chef at The Bensons Restaurant where I was working as a part-time chef.

I would want to renew the contract for my lease by a year since I'm starting a more permanent position at work and would be more financially capable to handle the rent.

However, I would like the draw your attention to some problems I have being noticing in my apartment, to begin the water heater and central heating system is faulty and this will pose a great problem for me in winter since i had been living here all summer . I haven't really had need for central heating because of the summer heat but this will be necessity in winter .

I would like to get in touch with you so we could discuss in persons so we can sign the Landlords agreement contract or other requirement i may need to provide to renewal my lease .

Yours Sincerely

Rebekah John.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly stated the desired extension period, provided a logical reason for your change in plans (a new job), and identified specific maintenance issues in the apartment. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the letter is clear from the beginning. To reach a higher band, ensure that the transition between the request for an extension and the mention of the maintenance issues is slightly smoother, as the shift feels a bit abrupt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter follows a logical progression, moving from the purpose of the letter to the justification, then to the maintenance issue, and finally to the call to action. Paragraphing is used to separate these distinct ideas, which helps the reader follow your argument. However, there are some minor issues with cohesive devices; for example, the use of 'but since' is slightly awkward, and some sentences are run-on. Using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in addition') would improve the flow and help you achieve a higher score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to communicate your message clearly. You use some topic-specific vocabulary such as 'prolong my lease', 'contract', and 'central heating'. However, there are some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'falling love' (should be 'fallen in love') and 'in persons' (should be 'in person'). Additionally, 'Landlords agreement contract' is slightly redundant. Focusing on more precise collocations and ensuring correct verb forms will help you demonstrate a more flexible and accurate use of vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, particularly with verb tenses and subject-verb agreement, such as 'I have being noticing' (should be 'I have been noticing') and 'this will be necessity' (should be 'a necessity'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some unnecessary spaces before commas and periods. To improve, focus on proofreading for these small slips and ensure that your verb tenses remain consistent throughout the letter.

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