Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-13

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. Thomas,

Subject: Need an extension on current rental apartment contract

The purpose of writing this letter is to inform you that I am looking to extend the rental agreement for the apartment, which was originally signed for six months only.

Since I have enrolled again for different program in my college, I need this apartment for next 8 months. While at first I had a thought of shifting to another place, this location is convenient for me as its just few blocks away from my college.

Before extending the lease, I would like to get your attention on the issue of excessive noise coming from a neighbor. I have already tried to solve this issue by talking to the neighbor multiple times, but he did not want to cooperate to resolve this. Because of that I cannot focus on my study, especially during exams. Therefore, your intervention is needed to resolve the issue of noise.

I hope you would extend the leasing contract further and solve the problem of unwanted noise as well.

Yours faithfully,

Manish

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully covers all three bullet points required in the task instructions. First, you clearly state how long you want to rent the apartment for by mentioning that you need it for the next 8 months. Second, you explain why your plans have changed by stating that you have enrolled again for a different program at your college and that the location is convenient. Finally, you successfully inform the owner about a problem in the apartment by detailing the issue of excessive noise caused by a neighbor and your unsuccessful attempts to resolve it. All parts of the task are appropriately addressed with relevant ideas and clear purpose, meeting the requirements for a Band 7.0 performance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter maintains a clear logical organization and progression throughout. It opens with an appropriate salutation and a clear statement of purpose, moves smoothly into explaining the change of plans, introduces the problem with the neighbor, and concludes with a polite request for action. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate each distinct point. Cohesive devices are employed reasonably well, such as 'While at first', 'Before extending', and 'Therefore', though referencing is occasionally slightly repetitive. Overall, the arrangement of ideas is coherent and easy to follow, supporting a solid Band 7.0 score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task with some flexibility and precision, such as 'rental agreement', 'convenient', 'intervention', and 'excessive noise'. There are a few minor lexical inaccuracies or awkward phrasing, such as writing 'different program in my college' instead of 'a different program at my college' and using 'shifting' where 'moving' would be more natural. However, the vocabulary is adequate to convey your message clearly without impeding communication, fitting comfortably within the Band 6.0 descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'While at first I had a thought of shifting to another place, this location is convenient for me as its just few blocks away from my college.' There are some minor grammatical errors and punctuation lapses, such as missing articles ('for different program', 'as its just few blocks') and a missing apostrophe ('its'). However, these errors do not impede communication and the majority of sentences are structured correctly, warranting a Band 6.0 score.

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

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