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.smith,

I have signed a lease with you for six months, which I would like to extend due to some reason, if you would like to do so.

I did want to stay here for six months as I had to move somewhere else regarding my job posting but due to some changes in that I am planning to stay in this city for longer period now as my college is in this city. I would like to extend my lease for another six months, if you agree on.

In addition, although I would like to extend the lease there aare some problems that I am facing right now which I would like to point out. The washing machine is not currently working properly, and the water filter has been broken in the fridge so I would really appriciate you can solve them.

I would be really greatfull if you accept my request on extending lease as you already know me as a person how I am. If you agree I would email you all the documents you wil be needing I hope you understand.

Your sincerely, tenant,

Janvi Parekh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points of the prompt: the duration of the extension, the reason for the change, and the maintenance issues. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord. However, the development of ideas is somewhat basic. For instance, the explanation regarding the job and college is a bit vague and could have been expanded for better clarity. The request is clear, and the purpose of the letter is achieved effectively. To reach a higher band, ensure that the reasons provided are more detailed and the flow between the request and the maintenance issues is smoother.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into paragraphs, each focusing on a specific aspect of the task. The use of cohesive devices is present, such as 'In addition' and 'although', which helps in linking ideas. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and the overall progression could be more fluid. The referencing is generally clear, though the sentence structure in the opening paragraph is slightly repetitive. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the request from the maintenance issues, which aids readability.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate their needs clearly. There are some spelling errors, such as 'aare', 'appriciate', 'greatfull', and 'wil', which are noticeable. While the range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey the message, it lacks the sophistication or precision required for higher bands. The student relies on fairly common words and phrases. Improving spelling accuracy and incorporating more precise collocations related to renting and maintenance would significantly enhance this score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'if you agree on' (should be 'if you agree'), 'the water filter has been broken' (should be 'is broken'), and 'you already know me as a person how I am' (which is awkward and redundant). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor errors in capitalization and comma usage. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and refining complex sentence construction will help.

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

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