Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-11

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 George,

Hope you are doing well. I m writing this to show my interest in extending my lease. I m planning to expand my six-month agreement for next 12 months. As we are almost near to the ending date of my first agreement.

When i first rented your apartment at that specific point of time, I was new in this city. As I am not really a city person, so i was not sure if I would be able to reside for longer or not. But living here from last few months I found this place to be more convenient, safer and transport accessible. Also my workplace is at best distance from here. So i m planning to stay longer in this apartment.

The only concern about this place is water leakage from the southern wall of solarium area which is directly connected to my room. It is giving me hard time and also became a host for insects to live in, which is definitely not good for health. I hope you understand my concern and will fix this issue as soon as possible.

Kindly grant my request for extending agreement. I will be highly obliged for this act of kindness.

Looking forward to hear from you.

Yours Truly

Dhayanvi Chauhan

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly state the desired extension period (12 months), provide a logical explanation for the change in plans (initial uncertainty about the city versus current satisfaction with the location), and describe the maintenance issue (water leakage). The tone is appropriate for a formal request to a landlord. To reach a higher band, ensure that the transition between the explanation of your plans and the request for repairs is smoother, as the shift in topic feels slightly abrupt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each serving a distinct purpose. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Also', 'But', and 'The only concern', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are a bit mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing, such as the phrase 'at that specific point of time', which is slightly redundant. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that sentences flow more naturally into one another would enhance the overall coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. Phrases like 'transport accessible' and 'reside for longer' are functional, though some word choices are slightly unnatural, such as 'best distance' or 'became a host for insects'. To improve, focus on more precise collocations and idiomatic expressions suitable for formal correspondence. While your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate your needs effectively, incorporating more sophisticated or varied synonyms would elevate the quality of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('at the ending date', 'in the city') and punctuation (missing apostrophes in 'I m', 'don t'). Additionally, some sentence fragments or run-on sentences occur, such as 'As I am not really a city person, so i was not sure...'. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent punctuation will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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