Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear Mr. Smith,

I am writing with regard to extending my lease for the apartment. I rented this apartment for six months initially, but I want to extend it further for six months. My plans have got changed because I have signed a contract of one year with my company.

Since I am new in this city, I do not want to change my location just for few months. Additionally, I liked the locality because people are really supportive here. It has all the facilities nearby, so it saves me a lot of time. I also enjoy the gym and swimming pool facility in the building. Now, I enjoy more living here.

Although, I am really happy to be here. There is one problem that I have been facing from few days. My air conditioner is not working properly. It’s feel really hot during afternoon. I would really appreciate if you could send an electrician to repair it. I look forward to your response.

Yours Sincerely, Ana

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response successfully covers all the bullet points outlined in the task instructions. First, the writer clearly states how long they wish to extend the lease, mentioning an additional six months. Second, the explanation for the change in plans is provided by noting that the writer has signed a one-year contract with their company and appreciates the local amenities and supportive community. Third, the letter effectively informs the owner about a maintenance issue involving the air conditioning unit not working properly during the afternoon. The tone is appropriately polite and semi-formal, meeting the conventions of a general letter to a landlord. All requirements of the prompt are fully satisfied.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter exhibits clear logical organisation and progression throughout. The response is divided into logical paragraphs, with an opening greeting, an explanation of the lease extension, supporting reasons for staying, a description of the apartment problem, and a proper closing. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as 'Additionally', 'Since', and 'Although'. However, paragraphing could be slightly refined, as the transition starting with 'Although, I am really happy to be here' is punctuated incorrectly as a sentence fragment and disrupts cohesion slightly. Overall, the message flows well and is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'facilities', 'locality', and 'appreciate'. There are a few word choice and collocation inaccuracies, most notably the phrase 'plans have got changed', which is unnatural and should be 'plans have changed'. Additionally, 'facility in the building' is slightly repetitive given 'facilities' was used earlier. However, the vocabulary used is sufficient to communicate the message clearly without causing misunderstandings for the reader.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including conditional or causal clauses such as 'Since I am new in this city, I do not want to change my location...' and 'I would really appreciate if you could send an electrician...'. There are several grammatical errors and punctuation issues, such as 'plans have got changed', 'just for few months' (missing article 'a'), 'from few days' (should be 'for a few days'), and the sentence fragment 'Although, I am really happy to be here.' Despite these errors, they do not impede communication, and the meaning remains clear throughout.

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