Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 Sir,

I am writing this letter to inform you about my interest in renewing the rental agreement.

Firstly, the current agreement for the stay in your apartment is going to end next month. But I wish to extend the stay for another one year. I got a job in this city and the company requested me not to relocate for a period of one year. Also, I am planning to join for a part-time French learning course in the nearby college. This apartment is very convenient for me to go to office and to college. I believe you will grand my request to extend the agreement for one more year.

Another thing is the air conditioner is not working properly. It automatically stops in the mid-night and starts again with a loud noise. It disturbs our sleep, and also panicking our older family members. If possible kindly fix the problem as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely,

Emmanuel Paulose.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly stated the desired extension period, explained the change in plans due to work and study commitments, and described the air conditioner issue. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord. To improve, ensure that the development of ideas is slightly more balanced; for instance, the explanation for the change in plans is quite detailed, while the description of the apartment problem could be slightly more concise to allow for a more formal closing. Overall, the task requirements are fully met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, with each section addressing a specific requirement of the task. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Also', and 'Another thing is' to transition between ideas. While these are functional, the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and phrases to connect sentences more fluidly. For example, instead of starting sentences with 'Also' or 'Another thing is', you could integrate these points more naturally into the paragraph structure. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the request from the maintenance issue.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully conveying your meaning. Phrases like 'renewing the rental agreement' and 'convenient for me' are accurate. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'grand my request' (should be 'grant') and 'panicking our older family members' (a more natural choice would be 'causing distress to'). To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise collocations and avoid slight errors in word form. The vocabulary is sufficient for the task but lacks the sophistication required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors that persist. For example, 'join for a part-time French learning course' should be 'join a part-time French course', and 'in the mid-night' should be 'at midnight'. Additionally, 'the company requested me not to relocate' is slightly unnatural; 'the company has asked me to stay' would be better. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more consistent control over articles, prepositions, and verb patterns to achieve a higher score.

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

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