Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-23

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 John,

The purpose of my writing today is to express my keen interest into extend my ongoing lease at your apartment.

Initially, my contract was signed for duration of 6 months from January 01 to June 30th now I would like to extend my term for another year which is till June 30th, 2027.

Considering all the convenient and peace while living in this place successfully convince me to stay longer than actual time. While my work place is really close to this apartment, I have commuting everyday by walk or sometimes with cycle and it helps me to save little extra money from fuel and parking charges. On top of that, I found exceptionally safe and helpful neighbor here, so, me and my wife lives here without any headache.

However, after living almost 6 months here we are facing few challenges about heating and water. As of now, we have been using both cold and hot water from tap , since couple of week the hot water is not have the same temperature as it used to be and same thing with heater. Therefore, we are facing several problems in our daily routine.

I hope you take an prompt action on these points. Moreover, I would like to sign extended lease agreement. Looking forward to hear back from you.

Faithfully,

Yash Kacha

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the task: the duration of the extension, the reasons for the change in plans, and the mention of maintenance issues. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord. However, the development of ideas is slightly uneven; while the reasons for staying are clear, the explanation of the maintenance issues is a bit repetitive and lacks specific detail regarding the 'heater' problem. Despite this, the purpose of the letter is clear throughout, and the reader is left in no doubt about the writer's intentions. The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each serving a distinct purpose. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'On top of that', 'However', and 'Therefore' are used to link sentences and ideas effectively. While some transitions feel slightly mechanical, they do not impede the flow of information. The use of referencing is generally clear, and the paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter. The overall structure is coherent and supports the message well.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their needs and concerns clearly. There are some attempts at less common collocations, such as 'keen interest' and 'prompt action'. However, there are several instances of awkward phrasing and minor word-choice errors, such as 'convenient and peace' (should be 'convenience and peace') and 'since couple of week' (should be 'for a couple of weeks'). These errors do not cause confusion, but they do limit the precision of the writing. A wider range of vocabulary would be needed for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the writer attempts complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb tenses and articles, such as 'I have commuting' (should be 'I have been commuting') and 'the hot water is not have' (should be 'does not have'). Punctuation is generally functional, though there are some minor issues with comma usage. The errors are noticeable but rarely impede the reader's understanding of the message. To improve, the writer should focus on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage.

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

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