Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-01

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 Mr. Dean,

I am writing to discuss about extend my agreement for six months to stay in the apartment.

I have been living in an apartment from six months. Now agreement is going to end, however, I want to stay six months more. As I like the apartment and its facilities such as parking and garden especially. In addition, I have become familiar with the area and people. One more important fact is that this place is quite convenient to reach at my work. So, i would be very thankful if you could extend agreement for six months.

I also want to highlight some problems in the apartments. Firstly, washer needs to repair as it stops automatically without completing a laundry cycle. Secondly, living area lights are not working properly.

I would appreciate it if you could solve these issues before extending the agreement.

I look forward to hear from you.

Yours since

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 ideas is somewhat brief. For instance, the explanation for why plans changed is clear but could be expanded with more detail to fully satisfy the 'well-developed' requirement of higher bands. The purpose of the letter is clear from the beginning, and the reader is left in no doubt about the writer's intentions.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized into distinct paragraphs, each serving a clear purpose. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'Firstly', and 'Secondly' are used to link sentences and ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing and sentence-level flow, such as the abrupt transition in the second paragraph. Overall, the paragraphing is sufficient and appropriate for a formal letter, and the message is coherent throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to communicate their needs effectively. There are some attempts at using specific vocabulary related to the context, such as 'agreement', 'facilities', and 'laundry cycle'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are occasional errors in word choice, such as 'discuss about extend' (should be 'discuss extending') and 'washer needs to repair' (should be 'needs repairing' or 'needs to be repaired'). These errors do not impede communication but prevent a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'living in an apartment from six months' (should be 'for six months'), 'reach at my work' (should be 'reach my work'), and 'look forward to hear' (should be 'look forward to hearing'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the misuse of articles and verb forms is noticeable. The writer demonstrates an ability to construct complex sentences, but these are often marred by minor errors.

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

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