Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-12

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)

Good morning Mr. Shah,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing to request an extension of the lease for your apartment unit # 303, Parking Avenue.

I would like to stay in this apartment for the next 6months, as I assume that you have not confirmed a new tenant yet, given that there is still one month left in the lease contract.

Fortunately, my current project with the TCC has been extended for the next 6 months. Therefore, to avoid the hassle of finding a new home and a new tenant, I would like to stay in your unit till December 2026.

However, I would like to address some of the issues that I am currently facing. The main issue is regarding the floor in the kitchen, as the tiles are peeling off and are annoying while working in the kitchen, which requires your urgent attention to repair. The other issues are small, like the receptacle, the light bulb in the bathroom, and the hinge of the door that is making noise.

I hope you can understand the reason for my lease extension. Take you time for your desion on the lease sextension. I will look forward to your response.

Your tenant,

Milan Bodar

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three required points and maintains a clear, polite purpose. You specify that you want to remain for another six months and explain the change through the extension of your project. You also identify a significant kitchen-floor problem and mention several smaller repairs, giving the owner useful information. The request is supported by practical reasons, although the reference to avoiding the hassle of finding “a new tenant” is unclear because that would normally be the owner’s responsibility. The exact end date, “December 2026,” could also be reconciled more clearly with the request for six additional months. Clarifying these details and developing the repair request slightly would make the response more complete and precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information follows a clear sequence: you introduce the purpose, explain why you want to stay, describe apartment problems, and close by requesting a response. Paragraphing helps distinguish these functions, and linking expressions such as “Therefore” and “However” make the progression easy to follow. The main cohesion issue is that the reason for avoiding “a new tenant” does not connect clearly to your own plans, so the reader may need to infer what you mean. The final paragraph also combines the request for understanding, the decision timeline, and the closing expectation rather abruptly. A more direct transition into the repair details and a clearer closing request would make the organisation feel more controlled.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the situation, including “extension of the lease,” “project … has been extended,” “tiles are peeling off,” and “urgent attention.” These phrases communicate the main points, and the tone is generally appropriate for writing to a landlord. However, some choices are imprecise or unnatural: “apartment unit” is redundant, “annoying while working” is informal and vague, and “receptacle” may not clearly identify the faulty item. There are also spelling errors in “Take you time,” “desion,” and “sextension,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for precise repair terminology and conventional formal expressions, and proofread carefully for spelling and word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The letter includes a useful mix of simple and complex structures, such as “as I assume that you have not confirmed a new tenant yet” and “as the tiles are peeling off.” Most of the message remains understandable, and the main request is expressed clearly. Some grammatical and punctuation issues remain. In “the floor in the kitchen, as the tiles are peeling off … which requires your urgent attention,” the long construction makes it unclear whether “which” refers to the tiles or the situation; splitting this into two sentences would improve control. “I will look forward to your response” would be more naturally formed as “I look forward to your response.” The comma after “However” and spacing in “6months” also need attention. More consistently controlled sentence boundaries would strengthen the writing.

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