Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-21

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 Michelle,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to extend my lease agreement to one year more of what we originally agreed.

As you know, five months ago on 5th may, I signed a six-month agreement to stay in the apartment. However, I would like you to extend it to one year as my parents are coming to visit me. Before this, I had decided to move out but now my parents are coming to stay, I need some space for them. I thought instead of renting a separate place for them, I should include them in my apartment. This apartment is big enough for three of us to live.

Moreover, till now I have not faced any difficulites, but the microwave oven is not working for last three days. Therefore, I am requesting you to send any techinician to fix it.

Thank you for time and consideration. You can share all the leasing documents to me which I need to sign.

Yours sincerely,

Sam Mistry

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The student covers all bullet points required by the prompt successfully. First, the writer specifies the desired rental extension clearly by stating they wish to extend the lease to 'one year more'. Second, the change in plans is explained by mentioning that the writer's parents are coming to visit and stay in the apartment. Third, a maintenance problem is introduced, namely that the microwave oven has not been working for the last three days. The tone is appropriate for a semi-formal letter to a landlord. All parts of the task are addressed adequately, and ideas are fully relevant and supported, matching the requirements for a Band 7.0 performance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is organised into clear paragraphs with a logical progression of ideas. The opening states the main purpose, the second paragraph details the plan changes and reasoning, the third introduces the maintenance issue, and the final paragraph concludes the letter politely. Cohesive devices are used effectively, such as 'However', 'Moreover', and 'Therefore'. Although paragraphing and referencing are generally clear and functional, the sequencing and mechanical use of cohesive devices keep this within the Band 7 range, showing a clear logical organisation throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms such as 'lease agreement', 'extend', and 'maintenance-related concepts' like 'technician'. There are some minor word choice and spelling inaccuracies, such as 'difficulites' instead of 'difficulties' and 'techinician' instead of 'technician'. Phrasing like 'extend my lease agreement to one year more of what we originally agreed' is slightly unnatural and clunky, but it does not impede communication. The lexical range is adequate and meets the criteria for Band 6.0, as it attempts less common vocabulary with some errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures like conditional and causal clauses (e.g., 'Before this, I had decided to move out but now my parents are coming to stay, I need some space for them'). There are some minor grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'for last three days' missing the article 'the', and 'share all the leasing documents to me' which should be 'with me'. However, these errors do not impede communication. The control of grammar and punctuation represents a solid Band 6.5 performance, featuring a mix of structures and generally clear communication.

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

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