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 John,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to bring some concerns into your attention. I recently got a job offer from a really good company, the commute would be easier from this apartment. I know I only had signed the lease for a short span of time which was six months.

However, I would greatly appreciate if you could extend my lease for a year more. I just got my dream job and I really want to keep this job and after living at this apartment for two months now. I really enjoy the serene atmosphere and the mesmerising view of the city from the balcony. I know I initially only asked for six months because I was hoping to find a job away from the city and due to which I would have had to move but now I have a great job right here in the city and which is very close to the apartment.

I also wanted to address a water issue going on in thebathroom since last week the water pressure is really low in the shower compared to the whole house. I would really appreciate you having a look into it and grateful if you can extend my lease.

Your faithful,

Sara

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly stated the desired extension period, provided a logical explanation for your change in plans regarding your new job, and identified the specific issue with the bathroom water pressure. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord. The ideas are well-developed and relevant to the task requirements. To reach a higher band, ensure that the transition between the request for extension and the mention of the maintenance issue is smoother, as the current structure feels slightly abrupt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Paragraphing is used to separate the different topics, which helps the reader follow your points. You use some cohesive devices like 'However' and 'I also wanted to', but the flow between sentences could be improved. Some sentences, such as the one beginning 'I know I initially only asked...', are quite long and slightly run-on, which affects the overall cohesion. Using more varied linking words would help create a more natural progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary, using descriptive phrases like 'serene atmosphere' and 'mesmerising view'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'bring some concerns into your attention' (should be 'to your attention') and 'short span of time' (which is slightly redundant). You also use 'Your faithful' as a sign-off, which is incorrect; 'Yours sincerely' is the standard formal closing when the recipient's name is known. Overall, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly and effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For example, 'I only had signed' should be 'I had only signed', and 'due to which I would have had to move' is a bit clunky. There are also some punctuation issues, such as missing commas in complex sentences and a run-on sentence in the second paragraph. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and sentence boundaries will improve your accuracy.

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.