Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-12

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 Deven bhai,

I hope you are doing well.

I am writing this letter to request six months of extension to existing agreement. The reason behind the request of the additional stay is change in my position at my workplace. Fortunately, I was able to convert my temporary six month internship to a permanent full-time role. Hence, I would like to stay here for little more, until i find permanent accomodation for myself.

I am really impressed by the location of the house and the neighbourhood. But I am having a trouble with sink in the bathroom as well as dishwasher in the kitchen. The drainage of water in the sink is not smooth and rapid and there is a leakage of water in the dishwasher. Hence, I also request you to solve both the problems at your earliest convenience.

Thanks in advance. I am hoping for a positive response.

Yours faithfully

Dhruv

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly state the desired extension period, provide a logical reason for the change in plans (the transition from an internship to a permanent role), and identify specific maintenance issues in the apartment. The tone is appropriate for a formal request to a landlord. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the letter is clear from the outset. You have fulfilled all requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each serving a distinct purpose. The progression of ideas is smooth, moving from the request to the explanation and finally to the maintenance issues. You use cohesive devices such as 'Fortunately', 'Hence', and 'as well as' to link your ideas effectively. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure is easy to follow. The transition between the request for an extension and the mention of the maintenance problems is handled naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task. Phrases like 'permanent full-time role' and 'earliest convenience' are used correctly and appropriately for a formal letter. However, there are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'little more' (should be 'a little longer') and 'having a trouble' (should be 'having trouble'). While these do not impede communication, they prevent the vocabulary from reaching a higher band. Expanding your range of collocations would further improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some minor grammatical slips, such as the omission of articles ('the' sink, 'the' dishwasher) and the lowercase 'i' in 'until i find'. Additionally, 'six months of extension to existing agreement' requires articles ('an extension to the existing agreement'). Despite these errors, the meaning is always clear, and the grammar does not interfere with the reader's understanding. Increasing the frequency of error-free complex sentences would help improve this score.

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

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