Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear Ryan,

I am writing this letter to inform you about a sudden change of plans regarding my stay. Initially my plan was to move in six months but as the house need some renovation as I broke the tiles during moving process I might need to extend the stay.

I was thinking to rent the apartment for more 6 months as the flooring work would take time. Starting the work I thought to replace only the damaged area but as working on it we realised there is some mould issue due to moisture. After proper inspection of the flooring we came to conclusion the overall project will take at least 4 to 6 months of time.

I would really appreciate if you can understand and let me stay as it would be the betterment of the apartment.

Thank you,

Drake.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points: the duration of the extension, the reason for the change, and the issue with the apartment. However, the response is under the 150-word minimum, which negatively impacts the development of ideas. The explanation regarding the renovation is somewhat confusing; it is unclear why the tenant is responsible for the flooring repairs or why this necessitates a long-term extension. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord, but the lack of sufficient length prevents a fully developed response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the narrative. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat limited and repetitive. For example, the transition between the initial plan and the new problem is abrupt. The flow of ideas is generally clear, but the connection between the damage caused by the tenant and the request for an extension could be more explicitly linked to ensure a smoother progression of thought.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. Phrases like 'betterment of the apartment' are slightly unnatural in this context. There are some minor errors in word choice, such as 'as working on it' instead of 'while working on it'. To achieve a higher band, you should aim to use more sophisticated collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing. The range is sufficient to communicate the message, but it does not demonstrate the flexibility required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'as the house need some renovation' (subject-verb agreement) and 'as I broke the tiles during moving process' (missing article). Additionally, 'I was thinking to rent' is less natural than 'I was thinking of renting'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to affect the overall accuracy of the writing.

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

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