Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

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

I am writing to formally request 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 it if I could rent the apartment for one year after the current agreement ends. I am willing to pay the annual rent in advance, so it would be a huge favor if I could 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 you 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 7.5

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly stated your desire to extend the lease for one year, provided a logical reason for the change in plans (a contract extension), and mentioned the 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 beginning. To reach a higher band, you could provide slightly more detail regarding the cooling issue, such as describing the specific nature of the malfunction, to make the request more actionable.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the request, which makes the letter easy to follow. You have used appropriate cohesive devices such as 'Although', 'but', and 'Along with this' to link your ideas. The paragraphing is logical and contributes to the overall clarity of the message. The transition between the request for extension and the mention of the maintenance issue is smooth. The letter maintains a consistent formal tone throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. Phrases like 'formally request', 'current agreement', and 'extremely grateful' are appropriate for the context. There are no significant errors in word choice that impede communication. While the vocabulary is functional and accurate, it is somewhat standard. To achieve a higher band, you could incorporate more precise or sophisticated collocations, such as 'lease renewal' instead of 'extension of the six-month rent agreement' or 'malfunctioning' instead of 'issue with'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a good control of grammar with a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most of your sentences are error-free, though there are a few minor slips. For instance, 'I agreed for renting' should be 'I agreed to rent', and 'if you will consider' would be more naturally phrased as 'if you would consider' in this conditional context. Despite these minor inaccuracies, your meaning is always clear, and the errors do not interfere with the reader's understanding of your request.

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

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