Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-13

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 7.0)

Dear Smith,

I am writing this letter to request an extension on my apartment's rental agreement duration which is expiring soon. We had signed the agreement only for six months; however, I would like to live for another 6 months. I am attending SFU which is located nearby this apartment, and the course in which I am enrolled is supposed to be finished next month, however, our university has extended the course for another 6-months, so this can make it easier for me to attend the classes. Along with this, all amenities such as shopping malls, grocery stores, and supermarkets are close to this location. I never had any issues in this apartment, but since last month, I have been dealing with the leakage issue in the washroom. I tried to fix it by myself, but I was unable to repair this leakage. Please extend the rental duration and send the plumber to fix a leakage issue. I expect a positive response from you. If you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out to me.

Yours sincerely,

Marco

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, and the maintenance issue. The tone is appropriate for a formal request to a landlord. The ideas are relevant and clearly presented, although the explanation regarding the university course could be slightly more concise. The request for the plumber is clear and logically integrated into the closing. Overall, the response fulfills the requirements of the task effectively, providing all necessary information in a professional manner.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized, with a clear progression from the request to the explanation and finally the maintenance issue. Cohesive devices such as 'however', 'along with this', and 'since last month' are used to link ideas effectively. However, the response is written as a single block of text. To improve, you should use paragraph breaks to separate the different sections of the letter (e.g., the request/reasoning in one paragraph and the maintenance issue in another). This would significantly enhance the readability and structure of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task. Phrases like 'rental agreement duration', 'enrolled', and 'amenities' are used correctly. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'live for another 6 months' (which could be 'extend my stay') and 'leakage issue' (which is slightly repetitive). The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, but incorporating more precise collocations would elevate the quality of your writing. Overall, the language is natural and appropriate for the context of a formal letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The letter displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are clear and grammatically sound. There are a few minor errors, such as 'nearby this apartment' (should be 'near this apartment') and 'fix a leakage issue' (should be 'fix the leakage issue'). Punctuation is generally accurate, though the flow could be improved by breaking up longer sentences. The grammatical control is good, and errors do not impede communication. To reach a higher band, focus on varying your sentence structure further and ensuring consistent use of articles.

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

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