Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear ....................................,

I am writing to formally request for an extension of the six-month rent agreement for my apartment. Five months ago, I rented the apartment number 15, located on the second floor of the Baker Building. Although I agreed for renting the apartment for six months but now I wish to stay longer.

I would appreciate if I can rent the apartment for one year after the current agreement ends. I am willing to pay the annual rent in advance so it will be a huge favor if I can rent it at the previous rate.

I had moved to this city for a 6 month temporary job but the company has decided to extend my contract for a whole year. This apartment is close to my workplace and saves me both time and fuel.

I would be extremely grateful if you will consider my request for extension. Along with this, there is an issue with the central cooling system of the building that I would request to consider.

Thank you for your time and cooperation. I look forward to your response.

Kind Regards,

Ayesha Noor

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly stated the desired extension period, provided a logical explanation for your change in plans regarding your employment contract, and identified a specific issue with the central cooling system. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter 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 all parts of the task are balanced; for instance, the request for the cooling system repair could be slightly more detailed to show how it affects your living conditions.

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 appropriate paragraphing and basic cohesive devices such as 'Although', 'Along with this', and 'Therefore' (implied). To improve, you could use a wider variety of linking words to connect sentences more fluidly, as some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Overall, the structure is sound and the message is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, using terms like 'formally request', 'extension', and 'cooperation'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'agreed for renting' instead of 'agreed to rent' and 'huge favor' which is slightly informal for this context. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, incorporating more precise collocations or slightly more sophisticated phrasing would elevate your score. The current range is functional but lacks the flexibility required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'I would appreciate if I can rent...' and 'I had moved to this city for a 6 month temporary job but the company has decided...'. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'I am writing to formally request for' (the preposition 'for' is unnecessary here) and 'I agreed for renting' (should be 'agreed to rent'). Despite these errors, your meaning is never in doubt, and the punctuation is generally accurate. Increasing the frequency of error-free complex sentences would help improve this score.

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

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