Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-27

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 Annie,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing to request to extend my accommodation at apartment 502.

I signed the 6 months of lease and now only 1 month is remaining to move out but due to career opportunity I have to stay more 6 month than I had agreed upon.

According to my studies, I should have moved out in 1 month but I was looking for internship in the same field. Fortunately, I found in the same city and actually its just walking distance to this building. That is why instead of looking for another house, I want to stay at the same building.

However, I have observed some times that there is leaking of water in the bath tub and the floor is getting wet. This scares me to fall on the floor. I am requesting you to send a technician and fix it as soon as possible.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I am looking for your response.

Best Regards,

Jolly

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly stated the desired extension period, provided a logical reason for the change in plans (a new career opportunity), and reported the maintenance issue regarding the bathtub. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord. To reach a higher band, you could provide slightly more detail regarding the specific dates or the nature of the career opportunity to further develop the ideas, but overall, the task requirements are fully met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each point, and a polite closing. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the request, the explanation, and the maintenance issue. You use some cohesive devices like 'However' and 'Fortunately' to link ideas. To improve, ensure that transitions between sentences are smoother; for example, the transition between the lease duration and the career opportunity could be more fluid to avoid a slightly fragmented feel.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'accommodation', 'opportunity', and 'consideration'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'stay more 6 month' (should be 'stay for another six months') and 'leaking of water' (more naturally 'a water leak'). While these errors do not impede communication, using more precise collocations would elevate your score. You have a sufficient range to convey your message clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'I signed the 6 months of lease' (should be 'a six-month lease'), 'I found in the same city' (missing object, 'I found one'), and 'This scares me to fall' (awkward phrasing, 'I am worried I might slip'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding your meaning. To improve, focus on article usage and verb-object agreement.

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

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