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 Mr. Mahesh,

I am writing this letter to ask if I could extend my agreement for rental apartment, which is due to end of next month.

At the outset, I would like to stay in the flat foe another six months, until end of February.

When I first rented apartment, I expected to move to the another city after six months because of my work. However, my plan has recently changed due I have to attend six months course called "dry needling".

As a result, I would prefer to remain in this apartment rather than move to the new area.

I would also like to bring a maintenance problem to your attention. The heating system is not working properly. Although it still produces some heat, temperature in the night becomes very low. I would be grateful if you could arrange someone to inspect and repair it as soon as possible.

I have really enjoyed living in the apartment and I would be appreciate if you could let me know whether extending the rental agreement for another six months would be possible.

I look forward to your prompt response.

Yours faithfully,

Hemali Chauhan

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points: the duration of the extension, the reason for the change in plans, and the maintenance issue. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord. The ideas are clearly presented and logically developed, ensuring the reader understands the purpose of the communication. The response is well-structured, with a clear opening and closing, and the information provided is relevant and sufficient to meet the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a specific requirement of the prompt. The use of cohesive devices such as 'At the outset', 'However', 'As a result', and 'Although' helps to guide the reader through the text effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different points. The flow of ideas is smooth, and the relationship between the sentences is clear, which makes the letter easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The vocabulary is generally appropriate for the task, with some good collocations such as 'extend my agreement', 'maintenance problem', and 'prompt response'. There are a few minor errors, such as 'I would be appreciate' (should be 'I would appreciate') and 'due I have to' (should be 'due to the fact that I have to'). However, these errors do not impede communication. The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning clearly and professionally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The letter uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While there are some grammatical slips, such as missing articles ('rented apartment' instead of 'rented the apartment') and minor prepositional errors ('due I have to' instead of 'due to the fact that I have to'), the majority of the sentences are error-free. The punctuation is generally accurate, and the errors present do not cause any confusion for the reader. The control of grammar is consistent throughout the letter.

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

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