Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-30

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 6.0)

Dear Owner,

I hope you are doing well, I am writing this letter to inform you that couple of months ago, I started living in this apartment with six month agreement but now i want to live longer than that.

Previously, it was six month contract from now on wards i want to live around a year here. As you know i moved here due to my study. I completed my study and I got internship near this address so it will be easy for me to go for the work from this location. So i want to extend my agreement for six months.

There is a problem in this apartment that i want to mention is that i found two cockroaches in the kitchen. I want you to contact the pest control staff so that they can do pest control here. I would appreciate if you solve this problem and help me to extend the agreement.

Warm regard,

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 mention of the maintenance issue. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord. However, the development of ideas is somewhat basic. For instance, the explanation regarding the internship is clear, but the request for pest control could be more professionally phrased. The letter successfully communicates the purpose, but it lacks the depth of detail that would elevate it to a higher band. Overall, all requirements are met, and the purpose is clear throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized into three paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of ideas. There is a clear introduction, a body paragraph explaining the situation, and a final paragraph addressing the maintenance issue and the request. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and limited. Phrases like 'Previously' and 'So' are used, but the transitions between sentences could be smoother to improve the flow. The referencing is generally clear, though the overall structure feels a bit simplistic. More varied linking words would enhance the coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to convey their message clearly. There are some repetitive word choices, such as 'apartment' and 'agreement'. While the student uses some relevant terms like 'internship' and 'pest control', the range is limited. There are no significant spelling errors, but the lexical variety is not sufficient to demonstrate a higher level of proficiency. To improve, the student should aim to use more precise synonyms and collocations related to renting and property management rather than relying on basic, functional language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. For example, there are run-on sentences ('I hope you are doing well, I am writing...') and missing articles ('with six month agreement' should be 'with a six-month agreement'). Additionally, there are issues with capitalization ('i' instead of 'I') and tense consistency. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. The student needs to focus on basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and the correct use of articles.

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

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