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)

10/08/2026

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to express my extension of 6 months agreement on an apartment in which currently I am residing. I would like to request your assistance in extending my lease further.

In present time, the lease for this apartment is only for 6 months. However, because earlier I signed a contract at my work place for current job title which now has been change to permanent position. Therefore, I want to stay here longer than expected at least for 2 years. In addition, my sister will be coming in the same city soon for her business. So, she would be joining me soon in this apartment. Moreover, you can always let me know the new applicable rent with her which will assist me to make the arrangements accordingly.

I would also like to draw your attention towards one problem in the apartment which is water leaking from the roof in dining area. This is the reason I can not have my meals on dining table instead I have made a small set up for eating in my room. I would greatly appreciate you if you can look in to the problem and solve at your earliest. Should you have any further questions, please feel free to get in touch via phone call. My cell phone is [redacted phone].

Yours faithfully,

Foram P.

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 in plans, 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 apparent. To reach a higher band, the development of the ideas could be slightly more sophisticated; for example, explaining the work situation in more detail or providing more specific information about the leak would enhance the response. However, all requirements of the prompt are fully met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each serving a distinct purpose. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Therefore', 'In addition', and 'Moreover' are used to link sentences and ideas effectively. While some transitions are slightly mechanical, the overall structure is coherent. The use of paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter, and the opening and closing salutations are correct for the context of the task.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their message clearly. There are some instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'express my extension of 6 months agreement' and 'in the same city'. While the range is sufficient to communicate the necessary information, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. The writer uses some functional vocabulary correctly, but there is limited evidence of less common lexical items or idiomatic collocations that would demonstrate a more sophisticated command of the language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'in which currently I am residing' (word order), 'at my work place for current job title which now has been change' (tense/passive voice), and 'solve at your earliest' (missing object). While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede the reader's understanding of the message. The punctuation is generally accurate, but the sentence construction occasionally feels slightly awkward due to the aforementioned grammatical slips.

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

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