Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-20

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 hope you are doing well. I am writing to request for extending my lease agreement of an apartment number B201. As you know that we have signed a six month lease agreement which will be completed next month, however now I am interested in renting this unit for more 11 months.

Previously my plan was to change city for better employment opportunities after I complete my six month certificate course therefore my commitment was just half year for this house. But fortunately I got my field job near this area and my work location is just 5KM form where I am living now.

I have also need to mention that before we renew our lease term, can you please replace the old furniture with new ones because they are too old and can not be repaired.

Thank you for your time and looking forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Nitin.

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 (11 months), explained the change in your circumstances regarding employment, and raised the issue regarding the furniture. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord. To reach a higher band, ensure that your opening and closing are fully integrated into the letter structure, and consider expanding slightly on the furniture issue to provide more detail, such as which specific items are damaged, to make the request more persuasive.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter follows a logical progression, with each paragraph addressing a specific requirement of the task. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'however', 'therefore', and 'but' to link ideas. However, the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that transitions between sentences are smoother. For instance, the transition between the employment explanation and the furniture request is a bit abrupt. Improving the use of referencing and paragraph transitions would help achieve a higher score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'employment opportunities', 'lease agreement', and 'certificate course'. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'request for extending' (should be 'request to extend') and 'more 11 months' (should be 'an additional 11 months'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. Focusing on more natural collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing will help improve your lexical range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'I have also need to mention' (should be 'I also need to mention') and 'they are too old and can not be repaired' (should be 'cannot'). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and article errors, such as 'change city' (should be 'change cities') and '5KM form' (should be '5km from'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and preposition usage.

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

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