Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

Dear Steve,

I am writing to express my concern regarding our rent agreement. I am completely aware of our terms that we both were agreed on. My plans have changed a bit so I would like to stay a bit longer than six-months.

To be specific, I am looking to stay another six-months at same property. I was here for only one semester of my school as my other semester was completely online. But my school recently changed my academic term from online to in-person. As a result, I will have to stay here another six-months at least. This the core reason for me to stay here longer than six-months.

In addition to this I would like mention some issues with the apartment and they need to be fixed sooner or later. Firstly, there is a small leak of water in kitchen sink. Because of that leak the floor of underneath of the sink started to get mold.

I would be grateful if you could take a look into this matter at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your time and assistance.

Yours faithfully,

Cheril

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The letter successfully covers all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly state your desire to extend the lease by six months, explain the change in your academic circumstances (moving from online to in-person classes), and identify the maintenance issue regarding the kitchen sink leak. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord. The ideas are relevant and well-developed, ensuring the reader understands both your request and the urgency of the repair. To reach a higher band, ensure that the transition between the request for extension and the maintenance issue is slightly smoother.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized into distinct paragraphs, each serving a clear purpose. You use some cohesive devices such as 'To be specific,' 'As a result,' and 'In addition to this' to link your ideas. However, the flow is occasionally slightly mechanical. For instance, the transition between the explanation of your studies and the mention of the leak could be more fluid. The use of paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure follows a standard formal letter format, which aids the reader in following your argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, such as 'academic term,' 'at your earliest convenience,' and 'express my concern.' There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'the floor of underneath of the sink,' which is slightly awkward phrasing. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the more sophisticated collocations or idiomatic expressions that would characterize a higher band. Focusing on more natural phrasing for common situations will help improve your score in this area.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'we both were agreed on' (should be 'we both agreed on') and 'I would like mention' (missing 'to'). Additionally, 'This the core reason' is missing a verb. While these errors are present, they do not impede communication, and the meaning remains clear throughout the letter. To improve, pay closer attention to verb patterns and subject-verb agreement, as these are frequent areas where minor slips occur.

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

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