Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-29

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 Sir/ Madam,

I am writing this letter to express my pleasure to increase lease agreement.

Hopefully this letter finds you and your family with great health. I would like to let you know that I want to extend my rental agreement for another six months due to unforeseen circumstances with your permission.

Actually, I was planing to go abroad for my higher education and started the whole procedure for immigration but suddenly a situation become worse when I came to know about low hemoglobin levels which makes me to think to take a proper treatment before my arrival, so I deffer my admission to next upcoming intake.

Additionally, I want to request about a few things, well everything in the house is well-maintained, but unfortunately air conditioner and washing machine needs replacement because it is not working properly, even the water leakage from the kitchen's sink damaging the cupboard.

Thank you for your time and I wish you will consider my request.

Best Regards,

Amandeep 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 issues. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal request to a landlord. However, the development of the ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation regarding the health issue is a bit abrupt, and the request for repairs could be more clearly structured. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is fully expanded with more natural phrasing, as some parts feel slightly rushed or underdeveloped.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into distinct paragraphs, each serving a clear purpose. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical. Phrases like 'Actually' and 'Additionally' are used to transition between points, but the flow between sentences within paragraphs could be smoother. The referencing is generally clear, though some sentence structures are slightly awkward, which occasionally disrupts the natural flow of the text. Improving the variety of linking words would enhance the overall cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate their needs effectively. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'unforeseen circumstances' and 'deffer my admission'. However, there are also some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'express my pleasure to increase lease agreement' (should be 'request an extension to my lease') and 'situation become worse' (should be 'situation became worse'). While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise control over word choice and formal register.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('air conditioner and washing machine needs replacement' should be 'need replacement') and tense inconsistencies ('I was planing' should be 'I was planning'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some run-on sentences that could be improved by using more precise conjunctions or splitting them into separate sentences. While the meaning is always clear, the frequency of these minor errors prevents a higher score.

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

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