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 Landlord,

I hope this message finds you well. I am writing for an extension of my lease for your rented apartment, which I have been renting from six months.

When I rented your apartment, I signed a six-month agreement lease. I would like to extend my lease for another six months to complete my work here. As this apartment is very close to my workplace, it is convenient for me to commute from here.

I had assigned a project by my company, which I believe to complete this, I had to live in this city for six months. However, my company got another project, and they again assigned me for accomplishing this task. Therefore, i have to stay in this city for another few months.

There are few problems in my apartment that needs to be fixed. The electric board of my room is not functioning, making it difficult for me to operate some of my electric tools. Moreover, the door of my apartment is hard to close, I have to push it very hardly to lock it. I would be grateful if you could arrange for fixing this issues.

Thank you for considering my request. I hope you would accept my request favorably. I look forward to your prompt response.

Yours, faithfully,

Harmeet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly state the desired extension period, provide a logical reason for the change in plans regarding your work projects, and identify specific maintenance issues. The tone is appropriate for a formal request to a landlord. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the letter is clear from the outset. To reach a higher band, ensure that the connection between the work project and the need for an extension is explained with slightly more precision, as the phrasing regarding the company's project assignment is currently a little repetitive.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for the request and the maintenance issues, and a polite closing. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate distinct topics. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'Therefore', and 'However' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by slightly mechanical transitions. For example, the transition between the work project explanation and the maintenance issues could be smoother. Overall, the progression of ideas is easy to follow, and the letter maintains a consistent formal tone throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'extension', 'convenient', 'commute', and 'functioning'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'assigned a project by my company' (should be 'assigned a project by my company' or 'given a project') and 'push it very hardly' (should be 'push it very hard'). While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise control over adverbial and verb usage. Expanding your range of collocations would help elevate the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical slips, such as 'renting from six months' (should be 'for six months'), 'I had to live' (should be 'I would have to live'), and 'fixing this issues' (should be 'fixing these issues'). Additionally, there is a minor punctuation error in 'Yours, faithfully,' where the comma is unnecessary. While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding your message. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of plural demonstratives.

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.