Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-07

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 Harpreet,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to ask you if I could extend my stay in your apartment.

I am Shraddha and we were agreed on 6 months lease from July, 2026 to January,2027. But, now I would like to extend my stay in this apartment till May, 2027.

Furhermore, I was having a contract job at Best Buy and my contract is supposed to be end on 31st January, 2027 so that is why I signed six-months agreement. Now, I got a full-time permanent job which is remote so that I can work from anywhere within Canada. Even, this apartment location is very convenient for me as grocery store, bus stop and everything else is just a walking distance.

One thing which I want you to solve as soon as possible is our buzzer. I have emailed the property manager multiple times but buzzer code is still not working.

I hope to hear from you.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Shraddha Kapadia

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response7.5
Coherence and Cohesion7.0
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The letter clearly addresses all three required points: you request an extension, explain the change in your employment, and report that the buzzer code is not working. The requested end date, “till May, 2027,” is specific, and the permanent remote job gives a clear reason for staying. You also add relevant support by noting the apartment’s convenient location. The problem is understandable, although you could make the request more actionable by saying what you would like the owner to do or asking when it can be fixed. Overall, the purpose and position remain clear, with the main ideas extended and supported.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter follows a clear progression: opening request, rental dates, explanation of changed plans, apartment problem, and closing. Paragraphing helps the reader distinguish these points, and links such as “But” and “Furthermore” show how the ideas relate. The sequence is easy to follow throughout. Some connections are slightly mechanical or imprecise: “But” begins a sentence where “However” would create a smoother formal transition, while “Even” does not clearly introduce the apartment’s convenient location. The final problem paragraph is also brief compared with the explanation of your job. More natural transitions and a slightly fuller request about the buzzer would make the cohesion more flexible.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range for the purpose, including relevant expressions such as “extend my stay,” “full-time permanent job,” and “walking distance.” These make the situation clear, and the employment vocabulary is appropriate. However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or less natural, including “Furhermore,” “contract job,” and “solve” a buzzer problem. “I was having a contract job” also reflects an awkward choice of expression. These slips do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision and naturalness. Aim to use conventional phrases for rental arrangements and maintenance requests, and proofread spelling carefully; for example, “Furthermore” is misspelled.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response includes both simple sentences and more complex structures, particularly the explanation beginning “Now, I got a full-time permanent job which is remote so that I can work…”. Most ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical errors occur. For example, “we were agreed on 6 months lease” needs a passive or active construction such as “we agreed on a six-month lease,” and “my contract is supposed to be end” should be “is supposed to end.” The sentence about the job and location also joins several ideas in a way that is difficult to control. Check articles, verb forms, and sentence boundaries, while retaining a mix of sentence structures.

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

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