Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-07-26

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 6.0)

Dear sir,

I am writing to formally inform you that i wish to extend my stay in the apartment for longer than the six months i originally agreed with you because of some reasons.

I will like to rent the apartment for another six months or more because is an apartment that i love to stay in and it is also close to my work place.

Let me explain my situation, initially i wanted to rent for six months but my company extended my stay for a longer time because of the new firm opened recently by my company and they needed some to help in training people for the vacant positions. So i was asked to help out.

There is a problem in the apary

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response fails to address all parts of the task. While you mention the duration and the reason for the change, the letter is incomplete. The final bullet point regarding the problem in the apartment is left unfinished ('There is a problem in the apary'), meaning this requirement is not met. Furthermore, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum requirement. To improve, ensure you fully develop each bullet point and check that your letter reaches the required length. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, but the lack of completion and insufficient length severely impact the overall task achievement score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the progression of ideas is interrupted by the abrupt ending. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'because of' and 'so', but they are somewhat repetitive. To improve, use a wider variety of linking words to connect your ideas more fluidly. The lack of a proper closing salutation also affects the overall coherence of the letter format. Ensure that you always complete your thoughts and provide a standard sign-off to maintain the expected structure of a formal letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is functional but basic. Phrases like 'some reasons' and 'help out' are quite generic. There is limited evidence of less common or more precise vocabulary. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more specific collocations related to renting or professional situations. For example, instead of 'help in training', you could use 'assist with the onboarding process'. Additionally, there are minor spelling errors such as 'apary' (which appears to be an incomplete attempt at 'apartment'). Expanding your range of vocabulary will help you express your ideas with more precision and sophistication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as the inconsistent use of the personal pronoun 'i' (which should be capitalized as 'I'), and missing articles (e.g., 'is an apartment that i love'). There are also punctuation issues, such as missing commas in complex sentences. While the meaning is generally clear, these errors occur frequently. To improve, focus on basic grammatical accuracy, particularly capitalization and subject-verb agreement. Practicing the construction of error-free complex sentences will also help improve your score in this criterion.

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