Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing this letter to express my interest in extending my lease for next two years as earlier I signed a six month-agreement that is going to expire next month.

I am holding a lease agreement for the apartment no 306 from March 2026 when I started my foundation course in the Dalhousie University and now I have passed all my courses that makes me eligible for an admission in Master of Business Administration. Therefore, I decided to stay in the same apartment for another twenty four months.

I came to Canada on a visitor visa and under that visa conditions I could only study for six months or less, but now I have extended my stay and have applied for a study permit application which will provide me an approval to stay for another two years to complete my course.

I am looking to stay here for a long time and have witnessed that the microwave in my kitchen is not working properly. Could I please request you to either get it replaced or repaired so that I can heat my food conveniently especially in the morning before my class.

Kindly consider my request for updating my lease agreement and do not hesitate to contact me in case you need any further information or document.

Yours faithfully,

Rajwinder Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

You have addressed all three bullet points in the prompt effectively. You clearly stated the desired duration of the extension, provided a logical explanation for your change in plans regarding your studies, and identified a specific maintenance issue with the microwave. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord, and the purpose of the communication is clear from the outset. The ideas are well-developed and relevant to the task requirements, ensuring the reader understands your situation and your request without ambiguity. You have successfully fulfilled all the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is well-organized with a clear logical progression. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the request, which helps the reader follow your narrative easily. You use cohesive devices such as 'Therefore', 'but now', and 'so that' to link your ideas effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, the explanation of your situation, the maintenance request, and the closing. The flow of information is smooth, and the relationship between your academic progress and the need for a lease extension is clearly established, making the letter easy to read and understand.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary suitable for a formal letter. Phrases like 'express my interest', 'eligible for an admission', and 'witnessed that the microwave' are used correctly. While the vocabulary is generally accurate and natural, there is room to incorporate more sophisticated or precise collocations to reach the highest band. For instance, instead of 'I am looking to stay', you could use 'I am keen to extend my residency'. The current vocabulary is more than adequate for the task and does not impede communication, showing a solid command of English for this level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the conditional-like structure in the final paragraph and the use of relative clauses. There are some minor grammatical slips, such as 'for next two years' (should be 'for the next two years') and 'an admission in Master of Business Administration' (should be 'to the Master of Business Administration program'). However, these errors are infrequent and do not interfere with the clarity of your message. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and your control over tense and punctuation is generally strong throughout the letter.

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

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