Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-03

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 6.0)

Dear Sir,

I am writing this letter to bring your kind attention that 5 months ago, I leased an apartment for 6 months and i want to extend my stay if its possible.

Foremost, I just got a job in my field that is on walking distance from the apartment and easy to commute from here along with that its very hard for me to find another near to my work. There is a reason i want to extend an agreement for next 6 months.

My plam is changed now because when i rented an apartment from you at that time i was a student and was not sure about that where i would i find job.

At last, I want to let you know there is a leakage in the kitchen under the sink.Send a plumber to fix that as soon as possible.

I am eagerly looking forward to your reply.

Yours Sincerely,

john

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully covers all the bullet points required by the task prompt, which is characteristic of the upper-middle bands. You clearly state that you wish to extend the rental agreement for another six months, explain that your plans changed because you secured a local job after previously being a student, and inform the owner about a leakage in the kitchen sink. However, some ideas are more fully developed than others. For instance, the explanation regarding the job and the apartment's location is a bit repetitive, and the mention of the maintenance issue is quite abrupt and lacks elaboration. To reach the highest band levels, all parts of the prompt need to be extended with fully elaborated supporting details, and the tone could be slightly more polite and consistent throughout the letter.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter maintains a coherent overall arrangement with a clear purpose established right from the beginning. You have attempted to structure your response using paragraphs to separate different points, such as the duration of the extension, the reason for the change, and the maintenance issue. However, cohesion is at times mechanical or faulty. Phrases like 'Foremost,' 'My plam is changed now because,' and 'At last,' feel a bit forced and do not create smooth logical transitions between ideas. Furthermore, referencing is occasionally unclear, and pronoun use could be improved. To achieve a higher band score, you need to use a wider range of cohesive devices more naturally and ensure that paragraphing connects your thoughts seamlessly without abrupt shifts.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, successfully conveying the core message to the landlord. You attempt some less common vocabulary items, such as 'extend my stay' and 'easy to commute,' but these are accompanied by some inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and spelling, such as 'plam' instead of 'plan' and minor phrasing awkwardness like 'bring your kind attention that' rather than 'bring to your attention.' These errors do not impede communication, allowing the reader to understand your intent clearly. To progress to a higher band, you should expand your range of vocabulary by incorporating more precise, natural phrasing and idiomatic expressions suited to a semi-formal letter, while strictly avoiding basic spelling slips.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, showcasing your ability to construct compound sentences such as 'I am writing this letter to bring your kind attention that...'. There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, including missing articles ('a job', 'find job'), preposition errors ('on walking distance' instead of 'within walking distance'), and run-on clauses linked with commas instead of correct conjunctions or periods. Fortunately, these errors rarely impede communication and the meaning remains clear throughout. To move towards a higher band, you need to produce a greater proportion of error-free complex structures and pay closer attention to minor grammatical details, such as articles, prepositions within set patterns, and punctuation boundaries.

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

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