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 Sir or Madam,

I am writing this letter to apprise you about my expiring renting agreement of an apartment in the end of this month. I really want to renew this agreement due to change in my work circumstances.

I came here five months ago with a seasonal work contract, and signed an agreement for an apartment for only half year. Fortunately, now my workplace offers me a full time job which requires me to stay in this city for long time. Therefore, rather than finding a new place to live, I would prefer to stay in the same place with a new long term contract.

The only problem I encountered in this apartment is a small water leakage in the washroom which could be fixed with expert visit. Moreover, I am really enjoying my time in this apartment and it is nearby from my workplace.

Thank you for considering my request. I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

Dharminder Singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address the three requested points: you ask to renew, explain that your seasonal contract has become a full-time job, and report a water leak in the washroom. However, the request does not specify how much longer you want to rent the apartment, which leaves an important part of the task incomplete. The reason for the change is understandable, but the problem is only briefly described, and “could be fixed with expert visit” does not clearly say whether you are asking the owner to arrange a repair. To strengthen the letter, state a definite period, such as another year, and make a clear, polite request for the owner to have the leak inspected.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

The letter is organised in a clear sequence: you introduce the renewal request, explain your changed work situation, mention the apartment problem, and close politely. The progression is easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “Fortunately,” “Therefore,” and “Moreover” help connect the ideas. Paragraphing also separates the main points effectively. To make the organisation even more natural, keep each paragraph focused on one purpose: the final paragraph currently combines the repair issue with a positive comment about the apartment. The transitions are generally clear, though a few could be less formulaic; the relationship between the leak and your request for the owner’s action could also be made explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a reasonably varied range for a formal letter, including “expiring,” “seasonal work contract,” “circumstances,” and “long term contract.” These choices communicate the situation clearly and show some awareness of formal style. There are, however, several awkward or inaccurate collocations: “apprise you about” is not natural in this context, “renew this agreement” could be more precise, and “nearby from my workplace” is not idiomatic. “Expert visit” is also unclear as a phrase. These do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, but more natural combinations would improve precision and fluency. Aim to learn common phrases for rental arrangements and maintenance requests.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including the reason clause in “which requires me to stay in this city” and the contrast expressed by “rather than finding a new place to live.” Several sentences are controlled and easy to understand. Some grammatical inaccuracies remain, particularly in articles and prepositions: “for long time” needs an article, and “in the end of this month” uses an incorrect preposition. The phrase “could be fixed with expert visit” also needs an article before “expert visit.” These errors do not obscure your meaning, but proofreading for small function words would improve accuracy. Continue using varied structures while checking article and preposition patterns.

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