Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

Dear Sunny,

I hope you are doing great. The purpose of this letter is to get an extension from you on my stay in your apartment.

I would like to rent the apartment for the next full year because I really like living here as it is comfortable, well-managed and conveniently located near my workplace.

Initially, I had planned to relocate in another city, I applied in many other companies but no company was meeting my expectations so, I planned to stick with my same employer. This is my main reason to stay more in your apartment and it is very convenient for me.

I would also like to draw your attention towards the water heater. Over the past few weeks, It has stopped working properly. I would really appreciate it if you could arrange someone to inspect and repair it at your earliest convenience.

I look forward to your prompt response.

Yours faithfully,

Parminder Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly state the desired extension period (one year), explain the change in your professional plans, and report the issue with the water heater. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord. The ideas are relevant and well-developed, ensuring the reader understands your situation and your request. The purpose of the letter is clear from the outset, and the closing is professional. To reach a higher band, you could provide slightly more detail regarding the specific nature of the water heater problem to help the landlord prepare for the repair.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific requirement of the task, which makes the letter easy to follow. You use appropriate paragraphing and basic cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'This is my main reason', and 'I would also like to'. The transition between the request for an extension and the mention of the maintenance issue is smooth. The letter maintains a consistent tone throughout. To improve, you could use a wider variety of linking words to connect sentences more fluidly, as some transitions are currently quite simple.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task. Phrases like 'conveniently located', 'draw your attention towards', and 'at your earliest convenience' are well-chosen and appropriate for a formal context. There are no significant errors in word choice that impede communication. However, the vocabulary is generally functional rather than sophisticated. To achieve a higher band, you should aim to incorporate more precise or less common collocations. For example, instead of saying 'get an extension', you could use 'request an extension of my tenancy'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are clear and grammatically accurate. There are a few minor errors, such as the comma splice in 'I applied in many other companies but no company was meeting my expectations so, I planned to stick with my same employer' and the preposition error in 'relocate in another city' (should be 'to'). Despite these, the meaning is never obscured. To improve, focus on punctuation rules regarding independent clauses and ensure prepositions are used correctly with verbs of movement.

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

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