Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-18

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 am writing this letter to make a request regarding my six-month lease. Last month I had applied for a job at Walmart and luckily I got the job. Well, I am aware that my lease is ending next month but I wanted to extend it for one more year. It has been the best place where I lived so far and that's because of Mrs. Smith and you.

I have cherished the best phases of my life in this apartment. Moreover, the locality is quite calm and safe. I do not have to worry about my safety when coming home from late night shifts. The position I got at Walmart is the 'Director Manager' and this is the turning point of my life as I will be working full-time and there is no stress for completing assignment deadlines. Even the apartment is ten minutes away from my job location which is a bonus for me.

There is a leakage in the washroom basin. I tried myself to fix the problem but I think we need an experts help to solve it. Apart from that issue, everything is running fine.

I am hoping to hear a positive revert.

Regards,

Harman

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly stated the desired extension period, provided a logical reason for the change in plans (the new job), and identified the maintenance issue regarding the basin. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord. To reach a higher band, ensure that the connection between your new job and the need for an extension is more explicitly linked to the apartment's convenience, which you touched upon well. The letter is well-structured and fulfills all requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter follows a logical progression, with each paragraph focusing on a specific requirement of the prompt. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Moreover' and 'Apart from that issue' to link ideas. However, the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to avoid a slightly repetitive structure. Paragraphing is clear and appropriate for a formal letter. Overall, the message is easy to follow, and the progression of ideas is consistent throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'cherished', 'locality', and 'bonus'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'experts help' (should be 'expert's help') and 'positive revert' (revert is a verb; 'reply' or 'response' is the correct noun). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, incorporating more precise collocations would elevate the quality of your writing. The language used is generally natural and appropriate for the context of a formal request.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'I do not have to worry about my safety when coming home from late night shifts.' There are some grammatical slips, such as 'I tried myself to fix' (should be 'I tried to fix it myself') and 'the best place where I lived' (should be 'the best place I have lived'). Despite these occasional errors, your meaning is always clear, and the errors do not impede communication. A greater focus on verb tense consistency and possessive punctuation would improve your accuracy.

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.