Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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. Charles,

I hope my letter finds you well.

I am writing this letter to inform you that our agreement to rent the apartment is going to end next month, and I would like to extend it for 12 months.

Basically, I would like to extend it by 12 months. The current agreement is till August, so I would like to rent from October to next October.

I moved to this city for work. I got a temporary position for up to six months, but my company was impressed by my performance, and I got a full-time permanent job at this company. Moreover, my job location is very near this apartment, and I find it very easy to commute. I do not want to find another place to live.

Although the apartment is in an excellent location where I can easily access the nearest park and recreational centre, where I go daily for exercise, I have found some problems while living in this apartment for 5 months, such as the walls require to be paint and the kitchen furniture has become very old.

I hope you will understand and allow me to live in your apartment.

Hope to see you soon, and we can discuss personally about apartment.

Kind regards,

Harshil Trivedi

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 your change in plans (the transition from a temporary to a permanent job), and identified specific maintenance issues. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord. To reach a higher band, ensure you avoid repetitive phrasing; for example, you mentioned the 12-month extension twice in the first two paragraphs. Consolidating these points would make your argument more concise and professional.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter follows a logical progression, moving from the purpose of the letter to the justification and finally the request for repairs. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate these distinct ideas. You use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover' and 'Although' to link ideas. However, the flow between sentences could be improved; some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Additionally, the final paragraph is a bit fragmented. Using more varied linking words would help the text flow more naturally and improve the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly, such as 'permanent job', 'recreational centre', and 'commute'. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'the walls require to be paint', which should be 'the walls require painting' or 'need to be painted'. While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. Attempting to use more precise collocations or varied synonyms would enhance your lexical score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'the walls require to be paint' and 'discuss personally about apartment' (missing the article 'the'). These errors do not impede communication, but they do indicate a need for more careful proofreading. To improve, focus on verb patterns (e.g., 'require painting') and the consistent use of articles. Increasing the variety of complex sentence structures would also help elevate your score.

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

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