Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-10

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 Sam,

I hope this correspondence finds you in robust health. We agreed upon the earlier terms for 6 months renting an apartment. However, due to sudden changes in my employment procedure, I would like to extend my stay for a quarter.

My employment contract before I move in was of about 6 months in the Winnipeg city. Due to undeniable consequences, my employer extended my offer for 3 more months.

As of now, I really appreciate if you can extend my lease till 31st July instead of 31st May. It will be difficult for me to find a new place, just for a quarter as no one wants to lease their place for this short period. Also, your place fits my budget as well as 5 Minutes drive from work.

Moreover, AC unit is not working since 3 days & you know how Winnipeg summer can be a headache. Kindly, look into this as well.

Let me know if you need any further details from my end. I'm happy to co-operate.

Yours Sincerely,

Hardik

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points: the duration of the extension, the reason for the change, and the maintenance issue. The tone is appropriate for a formal request to a landlord. The ideas are clearly presented and the purpose of the letter is immediately evident. To reach a higher band, the development of the 'reason for change' could be slightly more natural; while the explanation is clear, the phrasing 'employment procedure' is a bit vague. Overall, the response is well-focused and meets all requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose, moving from the request to the explanation, then to the maintenance issue. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'As of now', and 'Moreover' are used effectively to link sentences and paragraphs. The structure is coherent throughout, and the paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter. The flow of information is smooth, making the letter easy to follow for the reader.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally appropriate and sufficient for the task. Phrases like 'robust health' and 'undeniable consequences' show an attempt to use a wider range of language, although 'undeniable consequences' is slightly misused in this context (perhaps 'unforeseen circumstances' would be more accurate). There are some minor collocation issues, such as 'employment procedure' instead of 'employment contract' or 'work situation'. However, the meaning is always clear, and the vocabulary is varied enough to convey the message effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The letter demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While there are some grammatical errors, such as 'AC unit is not working since 3 days' (should be 'has not been working for 3 days') and '5 Minutes drive' (should be 'a 5-minute drive'), these do not impede communication. The control of punctuation and sentence structure is generally good. To improve, focus on verb tenses related to duration (present perfect continuous) and the correct use of articles.

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

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