Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-28

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 Sam,

I hope you are doing well.

I am writing this letter to request that I want to extend the agreement since I am planning to stay longer in the same apartment.

Firstly, as our initial agreement was six month and it is already the fifth month. I want to stay for more six months in this apartment, if possible.

Moving forward, in the beginning my job contract for this location was only for six months. That was the reason I rented this apartment only for six months. But due to business needs my manager wants me stay in the same location for more six months.

In addition, I am familiar with this area, and it is very close to all the amenities. Also, I made good connections with the neighbours here. The only problem I am facing in this room is the water leakage in the bathroom from a tap. If you could do anything to fix this issue, that would be great.

I would appreciate if you consider my requests. Thank you for understanding my situation. I look forward hearing back from you soon.

Yours sincerely

David

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, and identified the specific maintenance issue regarding the bathroom tap. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord. To reach a higher band, you could expand slightly more on the impact of the maintenance issue to ensure the request feels more urgent or professional, though your current approach is sufficient for a Band 7.0 as all requirements are clearly met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter follows a logical structure with clear paragraphing. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Moving forward', and 'In addition' to guide the reader through your points. While the flow is generally good, some transitions are slightly mechanical. For example, 'Moving forward' is used a bit awkwardly to introduce a past explanation. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between the explanation of your job and the request for repairs would elevate the coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task. Phrases like 'initial agreement', 'business needs', and 'amenities' are used correctly. However, there are some minor inaccuracies and repetitive phrasing, such as 'more six months' (should be 'another six months') and 'make good connections' (better as 'built good relationships'). The vocabulary is functional and allows for clear communication, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. Expanding your repertoire of collocations would be beneficial.

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 am writing this letter to request that I want to extend' (redundant), 'six month' (should be 'six months'), and 'I look forward hearing' (should be 'I look forward to hearing'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede the overall meaning of your message. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions following specific verbs or phrases.

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

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