Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-06

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 Ford,

I am writing to request you about a change in the rental agreement which we signed in March.

We made a contract for six months starting from April, but now I want this apartment for another three more months. As you know, I had moved to this place related to my job. The work which is assigned has more modification to do, and my company asked me to stay for another three months. Moreover, it is very difficult to find a new flat in a short notice, and I am comfortable with this apartment.

Also, can you please come and check the pipe in the kitchen since it has a leakage. When I reached home after my work, I found out this. The floor was wet and I accidentally slipped. Could you kindly call a plumber and fix this problem immediately.

I look forward to your prompt reply.

Yours sincerely

Helen

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 the change in plans related to your employment, and reported the kitchen maintenance issue. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord. The ideas are relevant and well-developed, ensuring the reader understands your situation and your request. The letter fulfills the purpose of the task effectively, maintaining a consistent and professional approach throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. You have used paragraphing effectively to separate the request for extension from the maintenance issue. Cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'Also', and 'since' are used to link sentences and ideas. While the flow is generally smooth, the transition between the explanation of your work situation and the maintenance issue could be slightly more refined to improve the overall cohesion. However, the structure is clear and easy to follow throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task. Phrases like 'rental agreement', 'assigned', and 'prompt reply' are used correctly. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'request you about' (should be 'request a change') and 'more modification to do' (which is slightly unnatural). However, these do not impede communication. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate more precise collocations related to property management and professional work environments to show greater flexibility and control over your lexical choices.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'When I reached home after my work, I found out this.' There are some grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'I had moved to this place related to my job' (better: 'due to my job') and 'in a short notice' (should be 'on short notice'). Additionally, 'the pipe... has a leakage' is slightly awkward; 'is leaking' would be more natural. Despite these errors, the meaning is always clear, and the errors do not cause difficulty for the reader.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.