Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-05

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 Sir,

I hope you are doing well Iam writing to ask if would be possible to extend my rental agreement, which is due to expire next month.

Instead of moving out after six months I would like to continue renting the apartment for next one year. I have really enjoyed living here because it is well maintained, comfortable and nearby my workplace.

My plans have changed because my company as extended my work contract for another year. However due to this unexpected opportunity, I have decided to stay here for longer period.

I would also like to inform about a small problem in the apartment. Over the past few weeks water heater is not working properly. Especially at the morning times sometimes water stop heating and it becomes inconvenient. Requesting you to Kindly arrange someone to inspect the same.

I look forward to your positive reply.

Yours Faithfully,

John

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt: the duration of the extension, the reason for the change in plans, and the report of the water heater issue. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord. The ideas are clearly presented, and the purpose of the letter is immediately apparent. To reach a higher band, the student could provide slightly more detail regarding the specific dates of the extension or the urgency of the repair, but the task requirements are fully met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with clear paragraphing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific point from the instructions. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Instead of', 'However', and 'Over the past few weeks', which help guide the reader. While the flow is generally good, some transitions could be more sophisticated to improve the overall cohesion. For instance, the connection between the change in plans and the request to stay could be tightened to avoid slight repetition.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task and conveys the message clearly. The student uses appropriate terms like 'rental agreement', 'well maintained', and 'inconvenient'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies and awkward phrasing, such as 'nearby my workplace' (should be 'near my workplace') and 'at the morning times' (should be 'in the morning'). The range is sufficient for a General Training task, but more precise collocations would elevate the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentences. There are several grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('the' water heater), subject-verb agreement issues ('company as extended' instead of 'has extended'), and missing prepositions. While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication. The punctuation is generally functional, though some sentences lack necessary commas. To improve, the student should focus on article usage and verb tense consistency.

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

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