Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)

Dear Shiva,

I hope this letter finds you in good health. My primary concern in writing this letter is to request an extension of my lease period for an extra 6 months.

As you know, I just graduated from university, and I want some buffer time to settle down in Toronto and to look for career opportunities. Additionally, my parents are visiting me next month and I don't want them to move around houses with me. Therefore, I thought that this is the perfect place to stay, as it is accessible to downtown and convenient to public transport.

Also, I want to inform you about the drainage problem in the bathroom, as it gets clogged every alternate day which causes delays and hygiene issues. Also, there is constant noise of water flowing through the sink's pipeline, which will probably result in higher utility costs.

Hoping for your positive and prompt response.

Yours truly,

Pratham

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points required by the task. You clearly stated the desired extension period, provided logical reasons for your change in plans (graduation and family visit), and identified a specific maintenance issue regarding the drainage and noise. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord. The ideas are well-developed and relevant, ensuring the reader understands your situation and the urgency of the repairs. To reach a higher band, you could provide slightly more detail on the proposed duration of the extension or offer a specific time for the landlord to inspect the drainage issue.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a distinct aspect of the request, which helps the reader follow your points easily. You have used cohesive devices such as 'Additionally', 'Therefore', and 'Also' to link your sentences effectively. While the structure is sound, the transition between the request for an extension and the maintenance issue could be slightly smoother. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate, and the flow of information is natural and easy to follow throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary that is appropriate for the context of a rental agreement. Phrases like 'buffer time', 'career opportunities', and 'utility costs' are used accurately. There is a good attempt at using less common collocations, which enhances the professional tone of the letter. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning precisely without any significant errors. To improve further, you could incorporate more sophisticated synonyms to avoid repeating words like 'also' at the beginning of sentences, which would add more variety to your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

Your writing displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. The grammar is generally accurate, and your control over punctuation is solid. There are no major errors that impede communication. For instance, the use of conditional structures and relative clauses is handled well. To achieve a higher band, ensure that you vary your sentence beginnings more frequently and aim for more complex grammatical structures, such as using passive voice when describing the maintenance issues (e.g., 'the drainage problem needs to be addressed').

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.