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 Ram Kapoor,

I have started living in this new apartment for nearly 6 months now according to our contract but now I have likely planned to extend my stay for a year as I liked this place.

It is very convenient for me to travel here for my work as bus service is very fast and close by not only that but also grocery stores are nearby. Furthermore everything is very accessible. I’m very attached to this place now as the safety, hygiene is well maintained in the society.

One thing I would like to mention sometimes there are some areas for leakage under the sink. I have noticed couple of times now and due to this the area stink alot and can cause infection which I don’t want. Moreover, I’m hoping that you will take good care of that and will change the pipes soon.

Regards,

Arshpreet Kaur

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 brief. While the reasons for staying are clear, the explanation regarding the leakage could be more specific to ensure the landlord understands the urgency. Overall, the response addresses the requirements effectively, though it stays quite close to the minimum length, which limits the depth of the content.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized into three distinct paragraphs, each addressing a specific part of the task. The use of cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'not only that but also', and 'Moreover' helps to connect ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the sentence structure within the second paragraph is a bit repetitive. The progression of ideas is clear, and the paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the request, the justification, and the maintenance issue.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to communicate their needs clearly. There are some instances of slightly informal or imprecise word choices, such as 'stink alot' and 'I’m very attached to this place'. While these do not impede communication, they lack the precision expected at higher bands. The range of vocabulary is sufficient to express the necessary information, but it does not demonstrate a wide range of less common lexical items or sophisticated collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'I have started living... for nearly 6 months now' (should be 'have been living'), 'bus service is very fast and close by' (missing article), and 'there are some areas for leakage' (awkward phrasing). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some run-on sentences. While the meaning is always clear, the frequency of these minor errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.