Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-16

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,

I am John, residing in your apartment for past six months. I am writing this letter to inform you that I have decided to extend our agreement from 6 to 12 months till March 2026. Hence, I request you to kindly extend my lease.

The reason why I chose to do that is the superstore, hospital and work. As you know, I am living here alone with no personal vehicle. Thus, it is easier for me to commute from from one location to another within 15 minutes on the bus. The other factor is that my aunt recently moved nearby this month, so it will be easy for me to visit her whenever I need.

However, as I have planned to stay here, I want to draw you attention towards some significant issues I am facing. The main door knobs are need to be tightened. Additionally, bathrooms taps are starting to leak nowadays. Thus, I request you to fix these problems as soon as possible.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

John

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points: the duration of the extension, the reasons for the change, and the maintenance issues. The tone is appropriate for a formal request to a landlord. The ideas are clearly presented and logically developed, meeting the requirements of the task. The purpose of the letter is clear from the beginning, and the request for repairs is integrated naturally into the narrative. To reach a higher band, you could provide slightly more detail regarding the specific nature of the maintenance issues to ensure the landlord understands the urgency.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is well-organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a formal closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, which helps the reader follow your logic. You use cohesive devices such as 'Hence', 'Thus', and 'Additionally' to link your ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. To improve, try to vary your linking words and ensure that the flow between sentences is smoother. For instance, the transition between the reason for staying and the request for repairs could be more fluid.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, using words like 'residing', 'extend', and 'commute'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'draw you attention' (should be 'your') and 'bathrooms taps' (should be 'bathroom taps'). The vocabulary is functional and allows you to convey your message clearly, but it lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. Focusing on correct collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing will help you achieve a higher score in this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For example, 'residing in your apartment for past six months' is missing an article ('the'), and 'The main door knobs are need to be tightened' is grammatically incorrect (should be 'need to be' or 'are in need of'). Additionally, there is a repetition of 'from from' in the second paragraph. These errors do not impede communication, but they indicate a need for more careful proofreading of basic grammatical structures.

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

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