Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-22

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 7.5)

Dear Sir,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing to inform you that I am planning to extend my agreement for the apartment I have rented. Originally, it was for only six months. Now, I wish to extend it to two years.

Initially, I moved to this city for a six-month internship. As it is coming to an end, my company has offered me a role in the management sector for eighteen months. After consulting with my parents, I have decided to accept this offer, as this will help me gain relevant experience in my field. As my current apartment is close to the company, it will be convenient for me to travel to the office every day.

However, I would like to talk about an ongoing problem in my apartment. The stove in the kitchen has not been working properly for the past week, and I have been eating outside food. This has started affecting my health. I request to get that repaired so that I can cook at home as well.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Tayyaba

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

You have successfully covered all the required bullet points in the prompt. First, you clearly stated how long you wish to rent the apartment for by mentioning an extension of 'two years'. Second, you explained the change in your plans by detailing your internship ending and your company offering you an eighteen-month management role, making the location convenient. Finally, you successfully brought up the issue with the broken kitchen stove. Your ideas are well-developed and relevant, creating a natural and appropriate tone for a formal letter to a landlord. Every part of the task is fully addressed, demonstrating a strong understanding of General Training Task 1 requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

Your letter is logically organised with a clear progression from stating the purpose of the letter, explaining the background and change of plans, raising the apartment issue, and finally closing politely. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each main point separated into its own logical section. Cohesive devices such as 'Originally', 'Now', 'Initially', and 'However' are used accurately to guide the reader through the text and connect ideas smoothly. Referencing is clear throughout, making the letter easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient and flexible range of vocabulary suited to a semi-formal or formal letter. Phrases such as 'extend my agreement', 'consulting with my parents', and 'convenient for me' show natural control. You also attempt less common lexical items like 'management sector' and 'ongoing problem'. There are occasional slight awkwardness in phrasing, such as 'eating outside food' (better expressed as 'eating out' or 'ordering takeout'), but your word choice is generally precise and communicates your message effectively without any impedance to the reader.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

You display a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating subordinate clauses effectively (e.g., 'As it is coming to an end, my company has offered me...'). The majority of your sentences are grammatically error-free and punctuation is handled well. There are very few minor slips, such as 'I request to get that repaired' (which would be more natural as 'I would like to request that it be repaired' or 'I would appreciate it if you could get it repaired'), but these minor issues do not impede communication. Your control over grammar is consistent throughout.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.