Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-08

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 6.0)

Dear Sam,

I am writing to request you about extension of my rental application. As you know I have signed lease for six month duration but I want to extend for another six more months. I will finish my work in coming six months and will give your keys back to you.

I am working for international company and I am here for very important project. Unfortunately, my work is not finished yet due to certain reasons I have to stay with same branch for another six months. So, I have to live in same town for more months.

I like your apartment but, sometimes gas stove is not working properly. On somedays it turns off by itself. I think coil and some wires are working properly. Due to this problem, I can not cook my food and have to order from restaurant which is not affordable for me.

Yours faithfully,

Krupa

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the task: 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. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For example, the explanation regarding the work project is quite brief, and the description of the stove problem could be more specific to ensure the landlord understands the urgency. To improve, try to expand slightly on your reasons and provide more detail regarding the impact of the maintenance issue to ensure the reader fully understands your situation.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your points easily. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'unfortunately' and 'so' to link ideas. However, the transition between the request for extension and the maintenance issue is a bit abrupt. To improve, you could use more sophisticated linking phrases to connect your paragraphs, such as 'Furthermore' or 'In addition to this request'. The progression of ideas is logical, but the overall flow could be smoother with a wider variety of cohesive devices.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to communicate your message effectively. Phrases like 'international company' and 'not affordable' are clear and appropriate. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'request you about' (should be 'request an extension') and 'give your keys back' (more naturally 'return the keys'). You also repeat 'six months' several times, which limits the lexical variety. Using synonyms or rephrasing would make your writing more engaging and demonstrate a higher level of control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'I have signed lease' (missing an article: 'a lease'), 'for six month duration' (should be 'six-month'), and 'on somedays' (should be 'some days'). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and article errors throughout. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles will help improve your accuracy.

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

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