Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear Usman,

I am writing to request a three-months extension to my tenancy agreement in your apartment. Our initial agreement was six months due to my Industrial training I started in University of Calabar Teaching Hospital. The extended months was my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program which is mandatory for every young adult that are through with their education.

Unfortunately, The application for the the program is yet to be opened because of several backlogs of students that has applied and not gone for service. Also I would like to inform you about the leakage that is happening in my apartment. The kitchen tap is spoilt and does not turn off properly which causes spillage to the floor. In addition, the window in my room is broken, I mentioned this problem to your caretaker when I moved into the apartment but he is yet to repair it.

Thank you, I hope my request is considered promptly.

Yours sincerely

Ajawara Chidimma

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: the duration of the extension, the reason for the change, and the maintenance issues. The tone is appropriate for a formal request. However, the explanation regarding the NYSC program is slightly confusing; it is unclear how the program relates to the extension request in terms of timing. While the task is fulfilled, the development of ideas could be more precise to ensure the reader fully understands the situation. Overall, the response is relevant and addresses the prompt effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear opening and closing. Paragraphing is used to separate the request from the maintenance issues, which aids readability. Cohesive devices such as 'Unfortunately', 'Also', and 'In addition' are used to link ideas. However, the transition between the explanation of the NYSC program and the maintenance issues is a bit abrupt. The flow of information is generally clear, but the use of cohesive devices could be more varied to improve the overall sophistication of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task. You use some specific terms like 'tenancy agreement' and 'mandatory', which are appropriate. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'leakage that is happening' (a leak) and 'spoilt' (broken/faulty). Additionally, there are minor grammatical errors in word form, such as 'students that has applied' (have applied). While the range is sufficient to convey your meaning, more precise vocabulary would enhance the professional tone of the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'the the' (repetition), 'young adult that are through' (who have finished), and 'backlogs of students that has applied' (have applied). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the sentence structure could be refined to ensure better grammatical control and accuracy in future writing.

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

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