Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-07

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 Mr.Brown,

I am writing this letter to inform you that I am living in your apartment since 5 months and I had an agreement with you for staying here for six months. But now I am not changing this apartment.

Actually my employer provided me with the permanent job in this city, so there is no more need to move from this place. I wish to live here for the next whole year as my work place is near to this apartment.

I want to inform you about some complaints regarding the water leakage and heater. In kitchen, tap is leaking and heater of my room is not working properly. I request you to fix it as soon as possible.

I look forward to hear from you soon. I Hope you take in consider the matter of my stay and complaints discussed above. If any documentary required then please let me know.

Yours Sincerely,

Tom

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly state your intention to extend the lease, explain the change in your circumstances due to a permanent job offer, and report the maintenance issues. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord. However, the development of ideas is somewhat brief. For instance, the explanation regarding the job could be expanded slightly to sound more natural. Overall, the purpose of the letter is clear, and the reader is fully informed of your requirements and the necessary repairs.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into distinct paragraphs, each focusing on a specific requirement of the task. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Actually', 'But now', and 'In kitchen', which help to link sentences. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat limited and occasionally mechanical. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate a wider variety of linking words and phrases to improve the flow between sentences and paragraphs, making the transitions feel more natural and sophisticated.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, allowing you to convey your message clearly. Phrases like 'permanent job' and 'water leakage' are accurate and appropriate. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'I am not changing this apartment' (which should be 'I would like to extend my lease') and 'take in consider' (which should be 'take into consideration'). The vocabulary is functional but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors throughout the text. For example, 'I am living in your apartment since 5 months' should be 'I have been living in your apartment for 5 months', and 'If any documentary required' is missing a verb ('is required'). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and article errors, such as 'In kitchen, tap is leaking'. These errors do not impede communication, but they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score.

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.