Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-17

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 7.0)

Dear Karan,

I am writing this letter to express my interest for staying long in your apartment than agreed half a year. Recently I got informed by my supervisor about extension in the contract for another six months has been approved by company. So, I would like to rent the apartment until the last of February 2027.

Honestly, I was planning to extend the job offer from the starting of my recruitment. However, I was a fresh employee and they initially want to test my skills and job performance. Once they got satisfied, they stamped their confirmation on my job letter. You are familiar with the fact that I moving to abroad next year, until then I want to polish my skills as much as possible. Therefore, this is the chance to stay employed and work on my development.

If you would not mind, I would like to draw your attention towards the water leakage problem in the apartment. From last week, the water is leaking from a bathroom roof which demands urgent repairment.

With the high hopes, I am expecting you to approve my request to stay longer in your apartment as well as immediate fixation of water leakage problem.

Thank you,

Jasleen Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly stated the desired extension period, provided a logical explanation for the change in plans regarding your employment contract, and identified a specific maintenance issue. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the letter is clear from the beginning. To reach a higher band, ensure that all details are presented with complete clarity; for instance, the explanation regarding your job offer is slightly wordy, but it remains relevant and fully satisfies the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the task, which helps the reader follow your points easily. You use some cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Therefore', and 'Once', which help to link your ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical or could be smoother. For example, the transition between your job situation and the apartment problem is a bit abrupt. Improving the flow between sentences would enhance the overall coherence of the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. You use some appropriate phrases like 'express my interest', 'job performance', and 'draw your attention'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'repairment' (the correct noun is 'repair') and 'immediate fixation' (which is slightly unnatural; 'immediate repair' or 'urgent attention' would be better). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the vocabulary from being considered highly flexible or precise. Expanding your range of collocations would help elevate your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is good. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'staying long in your apartment than agreed' (should be 'staying longer'), 'I moving to abroad' (should be 'I am moving abroad'), and 'From last week' (should be 'Since last week'). These errors are noticeable but do not cause confusion for the reader. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions. Increasing the number of error-free sentences will help you move into the higher band range.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.