Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-09

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. Smith,

Hope this letter finds you in radiant health and the best of spirits. Today, I am writing to extend my current half-year lease for one BHK apartment in South Orleans.

Since I have resided in this units, I indeed felt like it is my own. I have successfully maintained the property in the top-notch condition as agreed in the contract.

I would like to firmly increase the current 6-months term to 12 months. Fortunately, this place is proved to be extremely beneficial for me. Not only the residence is in proximity to my workplace, but also I find it highly convenient when it comes to the neighbours who are quite friendly and generous.

On the contrary, before signing the new document, I would like you to kindly contact an HVAC technician because the laundry machine is unfortunately not operational. As a consequence, I had been doing my laundry at the next door neighbours.

Thank you for your understanding and kind consideration. I look forward to receiving your reply promptly.

Yours sincerely,

Simanpreet Singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt: stating the desired extension length, explaining the change in plans, and reporting the maintenance issue. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord. The ideas are clearly presented, and the purpose of the letter is immediately evident. To reach a higher band, ensure that the explanation for the change in plans is more specific; currently, you mention the apartment is 'beneficial' and 'convenient', but providing a concrete reason for staying longer (e.g., a work project or personal commitment) would further develop the response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a formal closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the task. You use cohesive devices such as 'Not only... but also' and 'As a consequence' to link ideas effectively. However, the transition 'On the contrary' is used incorrectly to introduce the maintenance issue; this phrase is typically used to contrast two opposing ideas. A better choice would be 'Additionally' or 'Furthermore'. Despite this minor misuse, the overall progression of information is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary, such as 'radiant health', 'proximity', and 'operational'. There are some minor collocation issues, such as 'resided in this units' (should be 'this unit') and 'maintained the property in the top-notch condition' (should be 'in top-notch condition'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication. You have a sufficient range to convey your message with some precision, and the tone remains consistently formal and polite throughout the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the conditional-like structure in the final paragraph and the use of 'Not only... but also'. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'this place is proved to be' (should be 'this place has proven to be') and 'I had been doing' (should be 'I have been doing'). Punctuation is generally accurate. The majority of your sentences are clear, and the errors do not cause confusion for the reader. Increasing the variety of complex structures while maintaining accuracy would help improve this score.

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

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