Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-30

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. Singh

I hope this letter finds you in good health and spirits. I am writing to request you to extend my renting contract to one year, however, I also want to bring your attention to the electricity issue in the apartment.

As mentioned in the agreement that I can stay in this apartment for six months and can extend the period if I want to. Actually, before I thought to resign from my current job but due to some unforeseen circumstances, I have to stick to this position for six more months. Commuting to work on regular basis will be convenient for me if I stay in this apartment because it is only one mile away from my work.

Also, I have been dealing with the electricity circuits from quite a few days. It has been very challenging as I need elctricity for all the household chores. Even, sometimes there is no power for the whole day. I would greatly appreciate if you could look into this matter and solve this problem as soon as posiible.

Please let me know about your views regarding the agreement. Hoping to hear from you soon.

Kind regards,

Navneet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The student successfully covers all three bullet points required in the task prompt. First, Navneet clearly states the desired extension period by writing, 'request you to extend my renting contract to one year.' Second, the change in plans is explained by mentioning job circumstances: 'due to some unforeseen circumstances, I have to stick to this position for six more months.' Third, the apartment problem is introduced effectively: 'dealing with the electricity circuits from quite a few days.' The tone is appropriately polite and semi-formal for a landlord-tenant correspondence. The purpose of the letter is immediately clear and fully sustained throughout the text. Overall, this performance aligns closely with the Band 7 descriptor, as all parts are addressed with clear and relevant ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter exhibits a clear, logical progression from the initial greeting and purpose of the letter, to the justification for staying longer, the maintenance issue, and finally the closing remarks. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas, such as the lease extension in the first paragraph, the job situation in the second, and the electrical problem in the third. Cohesive devices are employed reasonably well, with phrases like 'As mentioned in the agreement,' 'Actually,' and 'Also' serving to guide the reader through the text. However, referencing and cohesive links are occasionally mechanical or slightly awkward, such as starting a sentence with 'Even, sometimes there is no power,' which prevents the score from reaching a higher band. Overall, the organizational structure is coherent and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

Navneet demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully communicating key concepts such as 'unforeseen circumstances,' 'convenient,' and 'household chores.' There are, however, several lexical inaccuracies and awkward collocations. For instance, writing 'electricity circuits' instead of electrical issues or wiring, and 'posiible' (a spelling error). The phrase 'before I thought to resign' is slightly unnatural and would be better expressed as 'previously I intended to resign.' While the writer attempts less common lexical items, these minor errors and spelling mistakes place the response firmly in the Band 6 territory, where vocabulary is sufficient for the task but lacks the precision and flexibility of a Band 7.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over relative clauses and conditional ideas ('Commuting to work on regular basis will be convenient for me if I stay in this apartment...'). There are, however, several grammatical errors and prepositions issues scattered throughout the text. Examples include 'request you to extend' (where 'ask you to extend' or 'request an extension' is more natural), 'As mentioned in the agreement that I can stay' (awkward phrasing), and missing articles such as 'on regular basis' instead of 'on a regular basis.' Furthermore, the spelling error 'elctricity' appears in the third paragraph. Despite these issues, the meaning is never obscured, and communication flows smoothly, supporting a solid Band 6.0 score.

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

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