Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear James

I am writing to request for an extension of apartment rental agreement for six months. My rental agreement would be expired next month, but I have to stay in this town for six months more since the project that I have came here for has extended.

This apartment is close to my workplace and moving to a new place would be a tiring work as a result I would be very happy to stay in here. Additionally, I may have to work in night shifts so staying nearby will be convenient.

Although this apartment has a number of features that I enjoy, there is one problem that needed to be fixed. The kitchen door doesn't close properly, so whenever I cook, the smoke goes to the living room since these rooms ase adjacent.

I therefore, request you to fix the kitchen door and extend my rental agreement for next six months.

Yours faithfully

Jamil

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly state the desired duration of the extension, explain the change in your plans due to a project extension, and identify a specific maintenance issue regarding the kitchen door. The tone is appropriate for a formal request to a landlord. The purpose of the letter is clear from the outset, and the ideas are developed sufficiently to meet the requirements of the task. No parts of the prompt were omitted, and the response maintains a consistent focus throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the request, which helps the reader follow your argument easily. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Additionally', 'Although', and 'therefore' to link your sentences and ideas. However, the use of these devices is somewhat basic. To reach a higher band, you could vary your linking phrases and ensure that the transition between the problem description and the final request is slightly more fluid. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate and the message is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task and allows you to convey your message clearly. You use relevant terms such as 'rental agreement', 'workplace', and 'adjacent'. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'tiring work' (which would be more naturally expressed as 'a hassle' or 'inconvenient') and the typo 'ase' instead of 'are'. While the range is sufficient to communicate your needs, it lacks the variety and precision of less common lexical items that would demonstrate a higher level of proficiency. Expanding your vocabulary to include more formal collocations would improve this score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'request for an extension of apartment rental agreement' (missing articles), 'agreement would be expired' (incorrect tense/voice), and 'the project that I have came here for' (incorrect verb form). While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede the overall meaning of your letter. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles and verb tenses. Increasing the frequency of error-free sentences will help you move into a higher band.

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

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