Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-09

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 Smith,

I am writing with regard to rental agreement that I have made with you some time ago for the period of six months. I want to stay here for longer than the six months, especially for one year becasue now the company has decided to appoint me permanently. Initially, I was appointed on temporary basis and rented for this period only, but now the situation has been changed. Apart from that, I also want to bring your attention to one minor problem in the apartment. The water tap in the kitchen has been leaking for the past two weeks which is totally a waste of water and causing it to floor wet. It would be a grate help of yours if you could arrange a plumber to fix this issue. Kindly think about renewal of our previous contract and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Emma

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The letter clearly addresses all three requirements. You state that you want to stay for “one year,” explain that your employer has decided to appoint you permanently, and identify the leaking kitchen tap while asking the owner to arrange a plumber. These details make your purpose clear and the request is appropriately directed to the owner. The explanation of the changed plans is relevant, though it could be developed slightly by clarifying whether the year is an additional year or the total rental period. Similarly, the problem is described clearly, but a brief note about when access to the apartment would be convenient could make the request more complete. Overall, the key information is covered and supported with relevant detail.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The information follows a sensible order: you introduce the rental agreement and extension request, explain the change in your circumstances, then raise the maintenance issue and close politely. Linking phrases such as “Apart from that” help signal the shift to the second matter. However, the letter is presented as one long paragraph, so the two main purposes are not visually separated. Some connections also feel mechanical, particularly “especially for one year because” and “Apart from that.” Use separate paragraphs for the extension and the repair, and make the relationship between ideas more direct. The overall progression is understandable, but clearer paragraphing and smoother transitions would make the organisation easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a formal request, including “rental agreement,” “appointed permanently,” “leaking,” and “arrange a plumber.” The meaning remains clear throughout. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, however: “causing it to floor wet” does not express the intended result, and “a grate help of yours” is both misspelled and awkward. “Bring your attention to” is understandable but less natural than “draw your attention to.” The phrase “renewal of our previous contract” is also less precise than referring to extending the rental agreement. More accurate collocations and careful spelling would make the letter sound more fluent and professional.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response includes a mix of simple and more complex structures, such as “I want to stay here for longer … because now the company has decided to appoint me permanently” and the relative clause “which is totally a waste of water.” Most sentences communicate the intended meaning, and the request is easy to understand. Some grammatical errors remain. For example, “with regard to rental agreement” needs an article, and “Initially, I was appointed on temporary basis” also needs an article before “temporary basis.” In “the situation has been changed,” the passive form is unnecessary; “the situation has changed” is more natural. The sentence about the tap also has a faulty construction after “causing.” Greater control of articles and sentence construction would strengthen accuracy.

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