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 Sir/Madam,

I am writing to inform you about the extension of my living period.

As per the agreement, i was obligated to stay at least six months while signing the documents. However, I am planning to stay for a year due to some circumstances. After all, the apartment is well-maintained and i, surprisingly, did not face any difficulties. Apart from it, the location is close to my workplace and other amenities can be easily accessed . So, these reasons are holding me back to stay there.

Although, there are few things which i would like to discuss regarding, the water leakage during rain and snow. Since few months, we have observed the ceiling has to be repaired, which causes a lot of challenges to walk. I hope you will pay attention on this matter and will be fixed soon. I will look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Anjali.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt: the duration of the extension, the reasons for the change in plans, and the mention of a maintenance issue. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation regarding the 'circumstances' for staying longer is vague, and the description of the maintenance issue could be more precise to ensure the landlord understands the urgency. Despite these minor points, the task is fully addressed, and the purpose of the letter is clear throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each serving a distinct purpose. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'However', 'Apart from it', and 'Although', which help connect the sentences. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or misused, such as 'Although, there are few things...' where 'Although' is used as a conjunction without a following clause. Additionally, the referencing in 'So, these reasons are holding me back' is slightly awkward. Overall, the paragraphing is sufficient and the flow is generally smooth.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their message clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'obligated' and 'amenities', which demonstrate a reasonable range. However, there are some inaccuracies in collocation and word choice, such as 'extension of my living period' (better: 'extension of my lease') and 'holding me back to stay there' (which conveys the opposite of the intended meaning). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the response from reaching a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, including punctuation issues (e.g., 'i' should be capitalized as 'I'), subject-verb agreement errors ('Since few months, we have observed...'), and awkward phrasing ('the ceiling has to be repaired, which causes a lot of challenges to walk'). The use of 'Although' at the start of a sentence without a main clause is a grammatical error. While the meaning remains clear, the frequency of these errors indicates a need for more careful proofreading and better control over complex sentence construction.

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

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