Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)

Dear Mr. Henry,

Hope you are doing well. I am John, tenant holder at 606 - 23 Delsing Dr. I am contacting you regarding renewal of my lease agreement. I initially agreed to stay for six-months, which is ending next month and would love to extend it for another year.

To begin with, the location of this apartment is very close to grocery stores, subway station, community park and many other places, including my work place. Because of this convenience, I am happy to continue my stay. Moreover, my contract job as banking advisor at CIBC bank will be continuing for another year. However, there is a minor problem with my stay, I find the ventilation system installed in the apartment makes a lot of noise, especially during the night time when every thing is calm; sometimes the noise makes it difficult to sleep. I request you to send someone to resolve the issue with the system.

I hope my thoughts are clear and looking forward to your prompt response.

Yours sincerely,

John Doe

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly state your intention to extend the lease for one year, provide a logical explanation regarding your job stability and the apartment's convenient location, and describe the ventilation noise issue. The tone is appropriate for a formal request to a landlord. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the letter is clear from the outset. To reach a higher band, ensure that the transition between the request for extension and the mention of the problem feels slightly more natural, as the shift from positive feedback to a complaint is a bit abrupt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. You use cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Moreover', and 'However' to guide the reader through your points. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the request for extension from the maintenance issue. The progression of ideas is smooth and easy to follow. To improve further, you could vary your cohesive devices slightly more, as some of the transitions are quite standard. Overall, the structure is coherent and the message is conveyed without any confusion.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'lease agreement', 'convenience', and 'ventilation system'. The language is natural and appropriate for the context of a formal letter. There are no significant errors in word choice or spelling. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations or less common vocabulary. For instance, instead of 'makes a lot of noise', you could use 'emits a persistent, disruptive noise'. This would demonstrate a more precise and flexible command of the language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most of your sentences are error-free, and the grammar is generally accurate. There are minor slips, such as 'tenant holder' (which is slightly unnatural; 'tenant' is sufficient) and 'every thing' (should be one word: 'everything'). Additionally, the phrase 'my contract job as banking advisor at CIBC bank will be continuing' is grammatically functional but could be more concise. Despite these minor issues, your control over punctuation and sentence construction is strong, and your meaning is never obscured.

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

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