Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 hope you are doing well. I am writing to you to request you if you could extend my lease of your apartment to one year instead of six months.

As you know, I moved here in Sydney because I was supposed to do six months of internship internship here but I came to know yesterday that my internship timeline is changed to one year. That’s is why, I was hoping if I could stay in your apartment for rest of my six months.

I am adjusting in this apartment really well. My hospital is just five minutes away from this apartment. The only problem I have with the apartment is the bathroom ceiling. I noticed last night that the bathroom ceiling was leaking. I am not sure if any pipe got bursted or there is any other reason. If you could get it fixed I would really appreciate it.

Thank you for your time.

Yours sincerely,

Jas

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, provided a logical reason for the change in plans regarding your internship, and identified the specific maintenance issue with the bathroom ceiling. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a landlord. To improve, ensure that you avoid repetitive phrasing, such as the double use of 'internship' in the second paragraph, and focus on slightly more precise language to describe your situation. Overall, the task is fully covered, and the purpose of the letter is clear from the beginning.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter follows a logical progression, moving from the purpose of the letter to the explanation and finally the request for repairs. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate these distinct points. You use basic cohesive devices like 'As you know' and 'That’s is why' to link ideas. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or repetitive. To reach a higher band, try to vary your linking words and ensure that the flow between sentences is smoother. For instance, the transition between the internship update and the apartment adjustment could be more fluidly connected.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have an adequate range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. You use relevant terms such as 'extend my lease', 'internship timeline', and 'maintenance'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies and awkward phrasings, such as 'I am adjusting in this apartment' (better: 'I am settling into this apartment') and 'pipe got bursted' (should be 'pipe has burst'). While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise collocation and control over verb forms to reach a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'I am writing to you to request you if you could' (which is redundant) and 'That’s is why' (a grammatical slip). Additionally, 'my internship timeline is changed' should ideally be in the present perfect passive ('has been changed') to reflect the recent nature of the news. While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding your intent. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and refining your use of complex sentence structures.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.