Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-07

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. Smith

I am writing to request you to extend my six month rental agreement of apartment because i am staying in this city for more time for my job.

I want to extend the period for more six months, in our agreement because of my job i have to stay in this city.

Actually, I got promotion in my job and i have to stay in this company at least 6 more month then i can transfer my job in my hometown location. I am living here from last few month with all facilities and i really do not want to change my accommodation.

It would be really great if you repair or change the heating system because winters are on the way and it s necessary to be in good condition.

I hope you will take my request into your consideration and allow me stay here for more in our agreement. I will look forward to hearing from you

Thank you for your time

Jasmeet Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt: the duration of the extension, the reason for the change in plans, and the mention of a maintenance issue. The tone is appropriate for a formal request to a landlord. However, the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive, particularly regarding the job promotion. While the task is fully addressed, the explanation could be more concise and professional to better meet the expectations of a formal letter. Overall, the response is clear and fulfills the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of ideas. There is a clear opening and closing. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat limited and occasionally mechanical. For instance, the transition between the job explanation and the maintenance request is abrupt. While the paragraphing is sufficient, the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in addition') to create a more natural and sophisticated structure throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate their needs clearly. There are some instances of repetitive phrasing, such as 'stay in this city' and 'my job'. The student attempts to use some specific vocabulary like 'accommodation' and 'promotion', which is positive. However, there are minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'transfer my job in my hometown location' instead of 'transfer to a position in my hometown'. To reach a higher band, the student should aim for more precise and varied vocabulary to avoid repetition.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, including missing articles ('in our agreement'), incorrect verb forms ('I am living here from last few month'), and punctuation issues (missing commas and capitalization of 'i'). These errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. The student should focus on subject-verb agreement, consistent use of articles, and proper capitalization to improve the accuracy of their writing.

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

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