Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-14

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 Mr. Javed,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing to express my interest in extending the rental agreement.

Initially I rented your apartment for six months because my current job contract is expiring within the time period, but now my employer has extended it for next term as well. So, I wish to extend my lease agreement for additional six months. Moving an apartment is such a big hassle and it would cost me money as well, because I have to hire a moving company. Moreover, I am already familiar with and love living in this area.

I would like to tell you about a minor problems with the apartment. Firstly, the front door's lock needs replacement, because the key usually stucks inside the lock. Secondly, despite the last repair, the washroom's tap still leaks.

Thank you for considering my request. I am looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Rajveer Singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly stated the desired extension period, provided a logical reason for the change in plans regarding your employment contract, and identified specific maintenance issues. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord. The ideas are well-developed and relevant, ensuring the reader understands your situation and requirements. To reach a higher band, you could provide slightly more detail regarding the urgency of the repairs to ensure the landlord prioritizes them, but overall, the task requirements are fully met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, which makes the letter easy to follow. You have used cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'Moreover', 'Firstly', and 'Secondly' to link your ideas effectively. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter. The flow is smooth, and the relationship between the ideas is clear throughout the text. There is no evidence of mechanical or repetitive usage, and the structure supports the overall message well.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task. Phrases like 'rental agreement', 'job contract', and 'familiar with' are used correctly. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'Moving an apartment' (should be 'Moving house' or 'Moving out') and 'stucks' (which is a grammatical error rather than lexical, but affects the precision of your vocabulary). While you convey your meaning clearly, the range is somewhat standard. Incorporating more precise collocations or slightly more sophisticated vocabulary would help elevate this score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'I am writing to express my interest...' and 'Despite the last repair, the washroom's tap still leaks.' However, there are a few grammatical errors that slightly detract from the accuracy. For example, 'the key usually stucks' should be 'the key usually gets stuck', and 'minor problems' should be 'a minor problem' to agree with the singular article. Additionally, 'Moving an apartment' is slightly unnatural. Despite these slips, the errors do not impede communication, and the meaning remains clear throughout the letter.

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

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