Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-01

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 7.0)

DEAR SIR,

I AM WRITING TO ASK YOU IF YOU COULD EXTEND MY RENTAL AGREEMENT FOR MY APARTMENT, WHICH I SDUE TO FINISH NEXT MONTH. I WOULD NOW LIKE TO RENT THE APARTMENT ANOTHER SIX MONTHS, IF THIS POSSIBLE.

MY PLANS HAVE CHANGED BECAUSE I RECENTLY RECEIVED A NEW JOB IN THIS AREA. THE JOB IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER YEAR, SO I WOULD PREFER TO STAY IN THE SAME APARTMENT RETHER THAN MOVE TO ANOTHER PLACE. I HAVE BEEN VERY COMFORTABLEHERE AND HAVE ENJOYED LIVING IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD.

HOWEVER, THERE IS ONE PROBLEM IN THE APARTMENT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION. THE WATER HEATER HAS NOT BEEN WORKING PROPERLY FOR THE LAST FEW WEEKS, AND THE WATER SOMETIMES REMAINS COLD. I WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD ARRANGE FOR SOMEONE TO INSPECT AND REPAIR IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHETHER IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO EXTEND MY RENTAL AGREEMENT FOR ANOTHER SIX MONTHS. I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU.

YOURS FAITHFULLY,

SAAD SHAIKH

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

Your response effectively addresses all parts of the task. You clearly state the duration of the desired extension ('another six months'), adequately explain why your plans have changed due to securing a new local job, and inform the owner about the specific issue with the water heater. Your purpose is immediately clear, and a consistent, polite tone is maintained throughout the letter. The ideas are extended well, particularly the reason for the change in circumstances and the request for repairs. To reach an even higher level, you could have elaborated slightly more on how long you intend to stay beyond the standard renewal or added more precise contextual detail about the apartment issue, ensuring every single bullet point feels fully rounded and extensively developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

Your letter demonstrates clear logical organisation and progression throughout. You start with an appropriate opening greeting, move logically from your request to your reasons, then introduce the maintenance problem, and finish by reiterating your request. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, with distinct paragraphs handling each individual bullet point and main idea. You make use of functional cohesive devices such as 'HOWEVER' and 'SO' to guide the reader smoothly through your arguments. To move to a higher band, you would need to demonstrate even greater flexibility in your referencing and cohesive devices, avoiding any minor abruptness in transitions between paragraphs and ensuring absolute seamlessness across the entire letter structure.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully communicating your message with terms like 'RENTAL AGREEMENT', 'NEIGHBOURHOOD', and 'INSPECT AND REPAIR'. You make a few spelling and word-choice errors, such as writing 'SDUE' instead of 'IS DUE', missing a space in 'COMFORTABLEHERE', and using 'RETHER' instead of 'RATHER'. These lexical slips do not impede communication, but they keep your vocabulary score at this level. To achieve a higher band, you would need to use a wider, more flexible range of less common lexical items with precise style and collocation, while completely eliminating basic spelling mistakes through careful proofreading before submitting your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

Your writing displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over structures such as conditional clauses ('IF THIS POSSIBLE') and subordinate clauses introduced by 'BECAUSE' and 'THAT'. There are some minor grammatical errors and structural omissions, such as writing 'FOR THE APARTMENT ANOTHER SIX MONTHS, IF THIS POSSIBLE' (missing 'is') and omitting articles or prepositions in isolated spots. However, your sentences remain clear and these errors rarely impede communication. To push into higher bands, you would need to produce a higher proportion of error-free complex sentences, utilizing a wider variety of advanced grammatical structures with consistent accuracy and flawless punctuation control.

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

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