Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-07-28

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 Jack,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this to draw your attention regarding extending the lease from six-month to one year.

About five month ago, I signed a lease for six-month. Now at this point, I would like to extend my stay for one year, as the place is close to my work, convenient for groceries and the community is super friendly. The main reason to prolong the lease is, initially I got a contract based job offer from the company I'm working currently; however, my employer is willing to offer me a full-time position.

According to the position requirements, I have to reside in town and not allowed to travel more than 25 kilometres for work, due to this I revoked my initial planning which is going back to my hometown.

Before extending the lease, there are certain issues which are addressed on an urgent basis. First is, the elevator requires a regular maintenance as it is not in working condition for half of the time. Second is, there is a moderate leakage in my washroom near the sink area.

Thank you for your time and consideration. Looking forward to hearing back from soon. Please fell free to reach out to me if you require any information.

Best Regards,

Paras

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly stated the desired extension period, provided a logical explanation for your change in plans regarding your job status, and identified specific maintenance issues. The tone is appropriate for a formal request to a landlord. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the letter is clear from the beginning. You have fulfilled the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the request. You use cohesive devices such as 'however', 'according to', and 'first/second' to guide the reader. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions could be slightly more sophisticated to improve the overall cohesion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the request from the maintenance issues.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary suitable for this task, such as 'prolong', 'reside', 'revoked', and 'maintenance'. There are a few minor inaccuracies, such as 'draw your attention regarding' (should be 'to') and 'fell free' (a typo for 'feel'). However, these do not impede communication. You use topic-specific vocabulary effectively to describe your situation and the apartment issues.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'five month ago' (should be 'months'), 'company I'm working currently' (should be 'working for'), and 'not allowed to travel' (missing subject 'I am'). Despite these errors, the meaning is always clear, and the majority of your sentences are accurate. The punctuation is generally correct, though the phrasing 'Looking forward to hearing back from soon' is slightly awkward.

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