Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-15

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 Mr. John,

I am writing to request you to increase my lease term of your apartment. I have signed the six month agreement with you from which five months are already gone. Now I wanted to increase the term to one year.

Although you were insisting me at that time to sign it for one year lease, I signed it for six months. However, now I am agree to increase it for another one year instead of six months.

I was doing odd jobs at that time but now I got the job in my field and do not want to loose the opportunity. Even my company is signing me for one year contract and willing to extend further. Moreover the job location is closer to my apartment.

In addition to the agreement, I would like to tell you some problems that I have experienced in the past five months. The major problem is the power backup. The old battery does not stand for too long. It needs to be replaced. Plus, some door locks also need to be replaced.

I hope you will consider my request.

Yours sincerely,

Mike Smith.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points required by the task. You clearly stated the desired extension period, provided a logical explanation for your change in plans regarding your new job, and identified specific maintenance issues. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord. To improve, ensure that your explanation of the change in plans is more concise, as the current phrasing is slightly repetitive. Overall, you have fulfilled the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Moreover', and 'In addition to' to link your ideas. While the progression of ideas is clear, the transition between the request for an extension and the maintenance issues could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter, and the overall structure helps the reader follow your request without confusion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'lease term', 'opportunity', and 'maintenance'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'signing me for one year contract' instead of 'offering me a one-year contract' and 'I am agree' instead of 'I agree'. While these errors do not impede communication, using more precise collocations would elevate your score. You have a sufficient range to convey your message clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'from which five months are already gone' (awkward phrasing), 'I am agree' (subject-verb agreement), and 'do not want to loose' (spelling error: 'lose'). Additionally, 'I have signed the six month agreement' should be 'I signed a six-month agreement'. While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding your request. Focusing on verb tenses and basic subject-verb agreement will help improve your accuracy.

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

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