Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)

Dear Rick,

I am writing to request that you extend the lease agreement for the apartment, which was initially signed for six months.

I would like to stay another six months in the apartment. I may stay even longer, but cannot assure you at the moment. I am completely fine with the type of agreement, whether it is month-to-month; or semi-annual.

The reason for the change in my decision is the extension of my employment contract. It was signed only for six months at the beginning, which is now extended to another half-year. It is stressful and difficult to find and move in to another apartment currently, therefore, I decided to stay here.

I would also like to bring to your notice that there is an occasional water problem in the unit, which sometimes affects my day, as I have to commute to the office in the morning. I would appreciate if you could look into this issue at the earliest.

Please let me know if there are any papers to sign or procedure to be followed for the lease extension.

Thanks for your time and consideration.

Looking forward to a favourable reply.

Yours sincerely,

Writer

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly state your desire to extend the lease for another six months, provide a logical reason for this change (employment contract extension), and describe a specific maintenance issue regarding the water supply. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord, and the purpose of the communication is clear from the outset. The ideas are well-developed and relevant, meeting all the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect of the request. The progression of ideas is smooth, moving from the request to the justification, then to the maintenance issue, and finally to the closing. Cohesive devices such as 'therefore', 'which', and 'as' are used effectively to link ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different points, making the letter easy to follow. The structure is coherent and professional throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly and professionally. Phrases like 'extend the lease agreement', 'employment contract', and 'favourable reply' are well-chosen and appropriate for the context. While the vocabulary is functional and accurate, it could be slightly more sophisticated to reach the highest band. For instance, instead of 'completely fine', you could use 'perfectly amenable'. Overall, the lexical resource is precise and there are no errors that impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The letter displays a good control of grammatical structures. You use a mix of simple and complex sentences effectively, such as 'I would appreciate if you could look into this issue at the earliest.' Punctuation is generally accurate, although there is a minor error with a semicolon usage in the second paragraph ('month-to-month; or semi-annual'). Despite this, the majority of your sentences are error-free, and the grammatical control is strong enough to ensure that the meaning is always clear and professional.

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

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