Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-05

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. Simpson,

I am writing this letter to inform you about my stay at your place. Initially, I wanted to live for only six-month; however, I have changed my plans and now I want to live for few more months.

I want to extend my lease and would like to live for a year. Regarding the reason why I changed my plans is that, I got a job offer from the same company where I was doing my placement. Moreover, this place offering me a great convenience for commute to my work place.

However, there has been a problem in washroom sink since three months. The sink is leaking and creating overflow water problem during the use. Could you kindly visit the place and fix the problem? It would be greatly appreciative.

Thank you for your support and I look forward to hearing from your

Yours sincerely,

Pragnya Pandya

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly state the desired extension period, provide a logical reason for the change in plans (a job offer), and describe the maintenance issue with the sink. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord. To reach a higher band, you could expand slightly on the impact of the sink issue to show more developed communication, but overall, the task requirements are fully met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each requirement, and a formal closing. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the request from the maintenance issue. You use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover' and 'However' to link ideas. To improve, ensure that referencing is always precise; for example, 'this place offering me' is slightly awkward and could be improved by using a more cohesive structure to connect the job offer to the convenience of the location.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'extend my lease', 'placement', and 'commute'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'overflow water problem' instead of 'water overflow' or 'leaking issue', and 'greatly appreciative' instead of 'greatly appreciated'. These errors do not impede communication, but they indicate a need for more precise control over word forms and common collocations to reach a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'live for only six-month' (should be 'six months'), 'Regarding the reason why I changed my plans is that' (a redundant structure), and 'since three months' (should be 'for three months'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding your message. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions regarding time durations.

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

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