Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-20

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. Ramone,

I am writing to request an extension to my stay for apartment number 21.

I initially rented the apartment five months back for six months. With the last month approaching, I want to request you to extend the length of my contract for a period of three more months.

The reason behind is that there has been a delay in the completion of my official project. This requires me to stay at this town for longer than I had intended to.

I also wanted to request for a re-paint of the apartment. The paint from ceilings often falls off in the form of flakes, making the apartment appear untidy all the time. I have been cleaning the apartment more frequently but I think this problem requires your attention.

I would be grateful if you could consider my request and I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

Amanda Cyrus

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response effectively covers all bullet points required by the task prompt. You clearly stated how long you want to extend the rental period ("for a period of three more months"), explained why your plans changed due to a delay in your official project, and highlighted a maintenance problem regarding the peeling paint on the ceilings. The tone is appropriately formal and polite for a letter to an apartment owner. All parts of the task are addressed well, and the ideas are developed logically, satisfying the requirements for this task type. Therefore, a band score of 7.0 is awarded for task achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter demonstrates a clear overall progression and logical organisation. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose, moving smoothly from the main purpose of the letter to the changed plans, followed by the maintenance issue and a polite closing. Paragraphing is used appropriately and effectively. Cohesive devices are employed reasonably well, such as "The reason behind is that" and "I also wanted to request", although some phrasing is slightly repetitive. Referencing is generally clear throughout the text. Overall, the structure meets the criteria for a band 7.0 in coherence and cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

Your lexical resource is adequate for the task, demonstrating a sufficient range of vocabulary to communicate your message clearly. You successfully use appropriate phrases such as "request an extension", "length of my contract", and "maintenance problem" (implied). There are minor unnatural collocations, such as "at this town" instead of "in this town" and "re-paint" as a noun instead of "repainting" or "a paint job". However, these lexical slips do not impede communication. The vocabulary is generally suitable for a semi-formal or formal request letter, placing this response solidly at a band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating reasonable control over grammar and punctuation. Sentences like "I would be grateful if you could consider my request" are accurate and well-constructed. There are some minor grammatical inaccuracies, such as "The reason behind is that there has been a delay" (which is slightly awkward) and "stay at this town" (preposition error). Punctuation is generally accurate, and your errors do not impede communication at all. The control over grammar is consistent with a band 6.5.

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