Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-31

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 Lucy,

I am living in one of your apartments with 6 month of lease and my contract will finish by next month. Recently, I changed my plans and wanted to extend my lease agreement further.

I wanted to increase my lease by another 6 months which will be till 1st of April, in the same unit. My unit number is 8510, which is on 8'th floor.

The main reason for the agreement is that, i am able to commute very easily to my university as it is on walking distance. Also, all the necessity places such as grocery store, transit stops and restaurants are within the apartment zone. Along with this, the facilities provided by the apartment is mind-blowing which make the system run so smoothly.

However, the only issue I faced is that there are some electric switch which is not working since the day I rented the apartment. So, it's my request to you please look on this problem as soon as possible.

Your Faithfully

Isha Goyal

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the task. You clearly state the desired extension period, explain the reasons for your change in plans (proximity to university and amenities), and report the maintenance issue regarding the electric switches. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord. To reach a higher band, ensure that the explanation of why your plans changed is more explicit; currently, you state you changed your plans but focus more on why you like the apartment rather than the specific reason for the change in your original timeline.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with clear paragraphing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific requirement of the prompt. You use some cohesive devices like 'Also', 'Along with this', and 'However' to link ideas. However, the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that the transition between the request for extension and the explanation of the apartment's benefits is smoother. The referencing is generally clear, though some sentences feel slightly disjointed.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'extend my lease agreement' and 'commute'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'necessity places' (should be 'essential amenities') and 'apartment zone' (should be 'neighborhood' or 'area'). The phrase 'mind-blowing' is too informal for this context. Improving your control over collocations and using more precise, formal vocabulary would help you achieve a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as '6 month of lease' (should be 'a six-month lease'), 'there are some electric switch' (should be 'there are some electric switches'), and 'look on this problem' (should be 'look into this problem'). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and capitalization errors, such as '8'th' and the inconsistent use of 'i' instead of 'I'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to limit the score.

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

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