Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-26

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 hope you are well. I am writing to you regarding the apartment I have been renting from you for the past five months. As you may recall, we signed a six-month tenancy agreement in March.

The reason I am contacting you is that I would like to extend my stay in the apartment beyond the original six-month period. I have really enjoyed living here and I find the location very convenient for my work and daily needs.

Specifically, I would like to request to rent the apartment for another *12 months*, until March next year. If a longer term is not possible, I would be happy to discuss a six-month extension as an alternative.

I have always paid the rent on time and I have made sure to keep the apartment in good condition. Therefore, I would be grateful if you could consider my request. Please let me know if there are any changes to the rent or tenancy conditions for the extended period. I am also happy to sign a new agreement if required.

I look forward to hearing from you soon. Thank you for your consideration.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

You have addressed all three bullet points of the prompt effectively. You clearly stated the desired extension period, provided a logical reason for the change in plans (convenience for work), and maintained a professional tone throughout. However, you missed the third bullet point: 'tell the owner about a problem in the apartment.' Because this requirement was completely omitted, the task is not fully addressed. To reach a higher band, ensure every instruction in the prompt is covered in your response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter is well-structured with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a polite closing. Ideas are logically sequenced, and you use appropriate cohesive devices such as 'Specifically,' 'Therefore,' and 'As you may recall' to link your thoughts. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the different purposes of your letter. The flow is smooth and easy to follow, demonstrating a good grasp of formal letter organization.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary for this task. Phrases like 'tenancy agreement,' 'extend my stay,' and 'daily needs' are natural and appropriate for the context. The language is precise and fits the formal tone required for a letter to a landlord. There are no spelling or word-choice errors that impede communication. To improve further, you could incorporate slightly more sophisticated collocations or idiomatic expressions related to property management.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

Your grammar is accurate, and you use a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. For example, 'If a longer term is not possible, I would be happy to discuss a six-month extension as an alternative' is a well-constructed conditional sentence. Punctuation is used correctly throughout the letter. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and the control over verb tenses is consistent with the context of the request.

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

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