Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-08

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 well. I am emailing you regarding my desire to extend my current tenancy agreement.

Initially, I agreed with yourself to sign a six month lease and this was approximately five months ago. As I approach the end of the lease agreement I would now like to stay in the apartment for a further twelve months. Therefore, I am asking for a change in our current tenancy agreement.

As time has passed, I have realised how much I enjoy living in the apartment. Prior to agreeing to the six month lease, I was unsure how I would settle in the area and how much I would enjoy living in an apartment for the first time. However, I now feel comfortable with the location and I thoroughly enjoy living in an apartment.

Moreover, there is one minor issue with the apartment that I would also like to make you aware of. The fan in the bathroom no longer appears to be working. I hope you can please help with this. Please feel free to let me know your thoughts and if you require any further information.

Kind regards,

Niall

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The letter clearly addresses all three requirements: you request a further twelve months, explain that you have become comfortable in the area and enjoy apartment living, and report that the bathroom fan has stopped working. The purpose remains clear throughout, and the reasons for changing your plans are relevant and supported with context about your initial uncertainty. The problem is also described plainly, although the request for help could be more specific—for example, asking the owner to arrange a repair. To strengthen the response further, make the proposed extension and the action you want the owner to take especially explicit, while retaining the polite tone.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

The information is arranged in a clear progression: you introduce the request, explain the original agreement and new duration, give your reasons, and then raise the maintenance issue. Paragraphing helps the reader follow these distinct points, and linking expressions such as “As time has passed” and “Moreover” make the relationships between ideas clear. The closing invitation for the owner to respond is appropriate. Some transitions are a little formulaic, and “Therefore” repeats the request rather than adding much to the progression. For a more polished flow, connect the explanation of your changed plans more directly to the request and make the final paragraph’s repair request the clear focus.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

You use a suitable range of vocabulary for a formal tenancy letter, including “extend,” “tenancy agreement,” “settle in,” and “thoroughly enjoy.” These choices communicate the purpose and your reasons clearly, and the tone is generally appropriate. There are occasional less natural or imprecise expressions: “agreed with yourself” is awkward in this context, while “make you aware of” is wordier than necessary. “Minor issue” may also understate a fan that has stopped working, depending on its impact. Greater precision and more natural collocations would make the language more flexible and polished. Overall, the vocabulary is effective, with some room to improve idiomatic phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.5

The letter shows a good mix of sentence forms, including complex clauses such as “Prior to agreeing to the six month lease, I was unsure how I would settle in the area” and “As I approach the end of the lease agreement I would now like to stay…”. Most sentences are controlled and easy to understand, and punctuation is generally effective. A few details need attention: “six month lease” should be hyphenated when used before a noun, and a comma after “agreement” would improve the sentence beginning “As I approach…”. The phrase “agreed with yourself to sign” is also grammatically awkward; revise the construction to make the parties and agreement clear. These are limited issues within otherwise strong control.

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