Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-22

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 ALI, I am living in your apartment which is located at Shah street in Gulberg One. We have an agreement of six months, and I am living here from past five months. I want to inform you that I m interested in staying here for three more months. Initially, I was thinking of resigning from my job after six months but due to financial instability and unable to find another job at the moment I want to increase the duration of rent. I have maintained the cleanliness of apartment and, I have always make sure to pay the rent on time. The apartment is quite spacious and solid built however, its door lock is not working properly and, there is an issue with the geyser as it is cold here so please send plumber to resolve this .I will be very thankful to you. Your's faithfully DR ARSLAN ABBAS

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 extension period (three months), provide a logical explanation for the change in plans (job-related financial instability), and identify specific maintenance issues (door lock and geyser). The tone is appropriate for a formal request to a landlord. To reach a higher band, ensure that the explanation for the change in plans is slightly more elaborated to demonstrate a more sophisticated development of ideas. Overall, the purpose of the letter is clear and the requirements are fully met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter follows a logical progression, moving from the current situation to the request, the reason, and finally the maintenance issues. However, the response lacks paragraphing, which is essential for a formal letter. The use of cohesive devices is somewhat limited; for example, you rely heavily on simple conjunctions like 'and'. To improve, you should use a wider variety of linking words and phrases (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in addition to this') to connect your ideas more fluidly. Breaking the text into distinct paragraphs for the request, the explanation, and the maintenance issues would significantly improve the structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'financial instability' and 'maintained the cleanliness'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies and awkward phrasings, such as 'solid built' (should be 'solidly built') and 'I am living here from past five months' (should be 'for the past five months'). The vocabulary is functional but lacks the variety and precision required for higher bands. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and avoid repetitive sentence structures. The word choice is generally clear and does not impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'I m' (missing apostrophe), 'I have always make sure' (incorrect verb form: 'made'), and 'please send plumber' (missing article: 'a plumber'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma placement before conjunctions. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall accuracy. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles will help improve your score in this area.

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

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