Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear John,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to talk to you regarding the apartment rental tenure which is going to be terminated within a month. I would like to prolong the tenure period of the rented apartment.

I would like to inform you that when I rented this apartment at the beginning I came to this city in search of a job. And to this cause I found your rental apartment through an online portal. This apartment served as a suitable place for my daily routine. I wish to extend the rental agreement to another four months than the original six months which was agreed initially.

The organisation that i am currently working for had previously assured me a place for accomodation at their staff quarters. But due to the recent renovation of the quarters has postponed the accomodation for about four months. This made be to prolong the tenure of your apartment till I secure my accomodation at the staff quarters.

However, recently I am facing the problem of rats and cockroaches roaming around the kitchen during the night time. This has caused a huge problem since I am unable to safeguard the food items. I wish you can sort this problem by arranging the process of termination with the use of pesticides.

Yours faithfully,

Jack

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The candidate successfully covers all bullet points of the prompt, achieving a fully satisfactory response for a General Training Task 1 letter. First, the writer clearly specifies the desired extension period by stating 'I wish to extend the rental agreement to another four months than the original six months'. Second, the change in plans is explained by describing the delay in staff quarter renovations at the workplace. Third, a specific maintenance problem is effectively communicated: the presence of 'rats and cockroaches roaming around the kitchen'. The tone is appropriately semi-formal and polite throughout, maintaining a suitable purpose for the recipient. Ideas are well-developed and easy to follow, meeting the criteria for a Band 7.0 performance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter exhibits a clear, logical overall progression. Each paragraph focuses on a distinct purpose: greeting and stating the letter's intent in the first, explaining the background and extension length in the second, detailing the change in plans in the third, and addressing the pest issue in the fourth. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'And to this cause', and referencing pronouns ('This apartment', 'The organisation') are generally handled well, though some transitions are slightly mechanical or awkward, such as 'And to this cause I found'. Overall organisation and referencing remain clear enough to support a solid Band 6.5 or 7.0 rating.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The writer uses an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully communicating everyday and situational concepts. Phrases like 'rental tenure', 'online portal', 'daily routine', and 'pesticides' demonstrate sufficient resource. However, there are some noticeable lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices, such as 'prolong the tenure period' (extend the lease), 'And to this cause' (For this reason), and 'the use of exterminators' rather than 'the use of pesticides' for dealing with rodents. Spelling is generally accurate, though minor unnatural collocations prevent the lexical score from reaching the higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'I am writing this letter to talk to you regarding the apartment rental tenure which is going to be terminated within a month.' Control over grammar is mixed; while many sentences are clear and correctly formed, there are several noticeable grammatical errors and awkward phrasings. Examples include 'due to the recent renovation of the quarters has postponed' (missing subject or passive voice needed) and 'This made be to prolong' (incorrect verb form for 'made me prolong'). Punctuation is mostly functional, but these recurring minor errors place the grammar score firmly in the Band 6 territory.

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

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