Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-25

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 Sir,

I am writing to request that please extend the six months agreement because i want to stay in the apartment for longer than six months.

Firstly, i want to extend my stay in the apartment from six months to one year. The main reason is that i have got the new job in this city. The location of my company is near my apartment. Furthermore, This apartment is quiet relaxed and noise free, and due to traffic pollution and loud noices in other places i want to stay in apartment for longer than six months.

Secondly, I want to request you that there is problem of drainage with broken valves in bathroom. I would appreciate it if you could send plumber in my apartment as your earliest convenience.

I would be grateful if you could consider my application at your earliest convenience. Please let me know if you require any further details from me.

I look forward to receiving your response.

Yours faithfully,

Hira Immad

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt: the duration of the extension, the reason for the change in plans, and the maintenance issue. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation regarding the job change is brief, and the description of the apartment's benefits could be more effectively linked to the request. Despite this, the purpose of the letter is clear throughout, and the reader is left in no doubt about the writer's intentions. All parts of the task are addressed, meeting the requirements for a solid band 6.5 or 7.0 performance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each serving a specific purpose. The use of transition signals such as 'Firstly', 'Furthermore', and 'Secondly' helps to guide the reader through the text. However, some of the cohesive devices feel slightly mechanical or repetitive. The referencing is generally clear, though the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words rather than relying on simple sequence markers. Overall, the information is presented in a coherent manner, and the paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter, justifying a band 6.5.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their needs clearly. There are some attempts at more specific vocabulary, such as 'drainage' and 'convenience', which are appropriate for the context. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'quiet relaxed' (should be 'quiet and relaxing') and 'loud noices' (spelling error). The range is sufficient to convey the message, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band score. The vocabulary is functional but basic in several areas.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as the misuse of articles ('the new job', 'the problem of drainage'), inconsistent capitalization of the pronoun 'i', and minor punctuation issues. The sentence structure is generally correct, but the frequency of these small errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. The writer demonstrates an ability to use complex structures, but they are not consistently error-free. The errors do not impede communication, which is a key indicator for a band 6.0.

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

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