Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-17

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 Sir or Madam,

I am writing to show my interest to rent an apartment for a year which I have got for a six-month agreement before the five months ago. After a six months, I have a shifting plan with my friend who also got an admission from the same university.

My friend's father got heart attack yesterday and he passed away. Therefore, he changed his plan to come abroad and he may have some financial and social responsibilities. That is the primary reason I have changed my plan too.

There is a drainage problem in my wash basin and bathroom because of it I am not able to use water since last two days and can you please come and check it tomorrow? I have a job in weekend so is it feasible for you to come on friday?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Dhwani Thummar

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all three bullet points required in the task instructions. You successfully stated your wish to extend the rental period for a year, explained why your plans changed due to your friend's personal and family circumstances, and notified the owner about the drainage problem in the wash basin and bathroom while proposing a time for them to visit. However, some parts of the ideas are slightly unclear or awkwardly expressed, such as the initial description of the agreement. While all requirements are present, the development of ideas could be extended further to achieve a higher band. Overall, the communication of purpose is clear and satisfies the general task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter has a coherent overall arrangement and follows a logical letter format with a standard greeting and sign-off. The paragraphs are organised by topic, separating the rental extension, the personal background for the change, and the maintenance issue. However, referencing and cohesive devices are sometimes faulty or mechanical, such as the abrupt transition in 'because of it I am not able to use water since last two days'. Paragraphing is used, but transitions between sentences could be smoother to enhance the flow of the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your message effectively. You attempted some less common vocabulary and task-specific phrases, such as 'shifting plan', 'financial and social responsibilities', and 'drainage problem'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation errors throughout the text, such as 'to show my interest to rent' instead of 'to express my interest in renting', and 'got for a six-month agreement before the five months ago'. These errors do not impede communication, but they reflect a Band 6 level of lexical resource.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms. You attempted complex structures, such as 'who also got an admission from the same university' and 'is it feasible for you to come on friday?'. However, there are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, including tense and preposition inaccuracies like 'since last two days' instead of 'for the last two days' and 'job in weekend' instead of 'job at the weekend'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, and while these errors are present, they rarely impede overall communication.

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

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