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. Johnson,

I am writing to request an extension of my tenancy agreement. Initially, we agreed to a six-month tenancy agreement. Additionally, I feel at home when I return after long working hours. I would like to rent this apartment for another year.

I rented this apartment because it is near my workplace. Moreover, my company signed a six-month contract at the time of joining. But, recently they extended my employment contract for about a year. Therefore, I would like to continue living in this apartment.

I would appreciate it if you could repair the roof because it is leaking. Moreover, One leg of the table is broken, so please look into this. The water heater is not working so please let me know when it can be repaired at your earliest convenience.

Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing a positive response from you.

Yours sincerely,

Reena

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly state the desired extension period (one year), explain the change in your circumstances (employment contract extension), and list the maintenance issues (roof, table, and water heater). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord. To reach a higher band, you could provide slightly more detail regarding the urgency of the repairs or the impact of the leaking roof, which would further develop your ideas. Overall, the purpose of the letter is clear and the requirements are fully met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each point, and a polite closing. You use cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'Moreover', 'Therefore', and 'In addition' to link your ideas. The progression of information is easy to follow. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the request for extension from the maintenance issues. The flow is generally smooth, though the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be slightly more refined to improve the overall cohesion of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. Phrases like 'tenancy agreement', 'at your earliest convenience', and 'look forward to hearing' are appropriate for this formal context. While the vocabulary is functional and accurate, it is somewhat standard. To achieve a higher score, you could incorporate more precise or less common collocations. For example, instead of saying 'the water heater is not working', you could use 'the water heater is malfunctioning' or 'is currently out of order'. The spelling is accurate throughout the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, and the majority of your sentences are error-free. There is good control over punctuation and verb tenses. However, there are minor slips, such as the capitalization of 'One' in the middle of a sentence ('Moreover, One leg...') and the slightly repetitive sentence structure in the second paragraph. Despite these minor issues, your grammar does not impede communication at any point. To improve, try to vary your sentence beginnings and ensure consistent capitalization and punctuation rules are followed.

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.