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 am writing for the extension of my lease agreement as it is ending within a month perhaps, I wanted to stay for another 6 months.

I believe that I have always been a good tenant who keeps the house clean and tidy whereas, pays the rent on time so I request you to extend my lease for 6 months. Because I have recently staring my documentation for immigration purposes and I have give this house address as a proof of address therefore, it will be problematic for me to change the address on paperwork again. Secondly, this house is near to my college and I am graduating in 6 months so stay in this house is convenient for me.

I would also request you to do the duct cleaning of the house as it is now creating breathing problems as well as allergies for my body.

I would really appreciate if you consider my request.

Sincerely

Anmol

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

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 mention of a maintenance issue. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal request to a landlord. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation regarding immigration documentation is a bit repetitive and could have been articulated more clearly to show the urgency. The request for duct cleaning is included, but it lacks specific details that would make the letter more persuasive. Overall, the response fulfills the requirements of the task effectively, though it could benefit from more sophisticated expansion of the provided reasons.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of ideas. The use of cohesive devices such as 'Secondly' and 'therefore' helps link sentences together. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or awkward, such as the opening sentence which is a run-on, and the use of 'whereas' in the second paragraph is grammatically incorrect in this context. The paragraphing is sufficient, but the flow between the request for extension and the maintenance issue could be smoother. Overall, the structure is clear and the message is easy to follow, meeting the criteria for a Band 6.5.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to communicate their needs clearly. There are some attempts at more formal language, such as 'extension of my lease agreement' and 'appreciate if you consider my request'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and minor errors, such as 'staring' instead of 'starting' and 'give' instead of 'given'. The phrase 'allergies for my body' is also slightly unnatural. While the range is sufficient to convey the intended meaning, the errors in word form and collocation prevent a higher score. Expanding the range of vocabulary would improve the overall impact.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. Examples include 'I am writing for the extension' (should be 'to request an extension'), 'I have recently staring' (should be 'started'), and 'I have give' (should be 'given'). Additionally, the sentence 'stay in this house is convenient' is missing a subject or gerund form ('staying'). These errors are frequent enough to be noticeable but do not impede the overall understanding of the letter. More attention to verb tenses and subject-verb agreement would significantly improve the accuracy.

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

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