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 lease 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 have repaired so that I can cook at home as well.

I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.

Yours sincerely,

Tayyaba

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The candidate has successfully covered all bullet points required in the task prompt. First, she clearly states how long she wishes to rent the apartment for: "Now, I wish to extend it to two years." Second, she explains the change in her plans by mentioning that her internship is ending and her company has offered her an eighteen-month management role. Third, she effectively introduces a problem in the apartment, stating that "The stove in the kitchen has not been working properly for the past week." All parts of the prompt are fully and clearly addressed with appropriate tone and clear purpose for a general training correspondence task. Therefore, this fulfills the criteria for a high band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organized and progresses smoothly from the opening statement of purpose to the background explanation, the current problem, and finally a polite sign-off. Paragraphing is used appropriately and effectively to separate distinct ideas, such as lease details in the first paragraph, the career-related reasons in the second paragraph, and the maintenance issue in the third paragraph. Cohesive devices are used naturally and accurately (e.g., "Originally," "Now," "Initially," "However"), ensuring that referencing is clear throughout the text. The overall structure mirrors standard semi-formal letter conventions.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The candidate demonstrates an adequate and natural range of vocabulary suitable for a semi-formal letter. Phrases such as "extend my lease," "management sector," and "earliest convenience" show a good level of control. There are appropriate attempts at less common vocabulary, and word choices are generally accurate. While there is a minor grammatical omission in the sentence "I request to have repaired" (missing object "it"), the lexical items themselves are well-suited to the context and do not impede communication at all. The register remains appropriate throughout the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The response contains a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over grammatical structures. Examples of complex sentences include "As it is coming to an end, my company has offered me a role..." and "As my current apartment is close to the company, it will be convenient for me..." Punctuation is accurate, and the majority of sentences are error-free. However, there is a minor grammatical error in the third paragraph: "I request to have repaired," which lacks an object pronoun ("it"). Despite this small slip, the grammatical range is solid and communication flows clearly.

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