Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-04

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 John,

I am writing an email regarding the extension of our stay in your apartment. We have been living in your apartment for almost five months, as we signed a lease agreement for six months. However, our plan to move to another city has changed, as I got a new job in the same city where we are living now. So, I would like to extend our lease agreement until next year.

My plan has changed because I thought I would get a new job in the new city, and I will not be able to commute to the new job location every day. Fortunately, I have received a new job in our town. As a result, I do not need to move to another place.

However, I just want to remind you to service our furnace, as it is making an unusual sound.

I hope you accept my request and reach out to me with the new lease agreement to sign.

Yours sincerely,

Jeff

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly stated the desired extension period, explained the change in your employment circumstances, and reported the furnace issue. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord. To improve, you could be more specific about the duration of the extension (e.g., 'for an additional six months' rather than just 'until next year') to ensure the landlord has precise information. Overall, the response is well-focused and fulfills the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for the explanation and the maintenance request, and a polite closing. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'However,' 'As a result,' and 'Fortunately' to link your ideas. While the structure is clear, the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words or phrases to connect sentences more fluidly. The paragraphing is appropriate for a letter, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, using terms like 'lease agreement,' 'commute,' and 'extension' correctly. The language is natural and conveys your meaning clearly. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise or sophisticated collocations. For example, instead of saying 'service our furnace,' you could use 'arrange for a maintenance check' or 'have the heating system inspected.' Your spelling is accurate, and the vocabulary choice is consistently appropriate for the context of a formal request.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'I am writing an email regarding...' and 'I thought I would get a new job...'. Most of your sentences are error-free and easy to understand. There are minor issues with phrasing, such as 'I have received a new job in our town,' which would be more naturally expressed as 'I have accepted a new position locally.' Punctuation is generally correct, and your control over verb tenses is consistent throughout the letter, which aids readability.

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

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