Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-13

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. John,

Greetings, hope you are doing well, I am writing to request an extension to my agreement for further six months as my contract on the job has renewed for one more year.

I am simply amazed by the calm and serene I am enjoying at your apartment, free of all the shackles and noises of the busy city life. It has a been a great experience living here as it was near to my workplace at less than ten minutes of walk. All the amenties are easily accessible and at very affordable prices as compared to city centre. These factors have made this a favourable place to continue my stay here.

Besides this, I have found you very comfortable and easy going and appreciate your frequent feedback from me. Though the apartment is much better maintained than many others at the same pricing, I would humbly take your attention to chipping paint from the kitchen ceiling. It would be nice of you if you could arrange a painter to visit it as soon as possible so that it could be taken care of at its earliest.

Kind regards,

Qamar

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The letter covers all three required points: you request a further six months, explain that your job contract has been renewed, and report paint peeling from the kitchen ceiling. The reason for staying is clear, and the apartment’s location and surroundings help explain your preference. The problem is also accompanied by a polite request for repair. Some details are less fully developed: “further six months” could be made more precise by stating the new end date, and the ceiling issue would be clearer with a brief indication of how serious or disruptive it is. The positive comments about the apartment are relevant, though a little more detail about the changed plans would make the explanation more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The information is arranged in a sensible sequence: the opening makes the extension request, the next section explains why you want to stay, and the final body paragraph raises the maintenance issue. Paragraphing supports the letter’s purpose, and links such as “Besides this” and “Though” help connect ideas. Some connections are less smooth, however. The opening combines a greeting and the request in one long sentence, while “Though the apartment is much better maintained…” shifts rather abruptly from praise to the problem. The reference in “appreciate your frequent feedback from me” is also unclear, making the relationship between the owner and tenant harder to follow. More direct transitions and clearer referencing would make the progression more consistently easy to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a formal request, including “extension,” “serene,” “accessible,” and “arrange a painter.” These choices help convey appreciation and make the repair request polite. You also attempt less common expressions, but some are inaccurate or unnatural: “the calm and serene I am enjoying” needs a noun such as “calm and serenity,” and “shackles and noises” is an unsuitable combination for describing city life. There are also spelling and word-form slips, including “amenties” and “a been.” A few phrases, such as “at its earliest,” are not idiomatic. Choosing more precise, natural collocations would improve fluency and make the tone more consistently professional.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The letter includes a mix of simple and complex structures, such as the reason clause “as my contract on the job has renewed” and the contrast introduced by “Though.” Most of the message remains understandable, and the request is communicated clearly. Some grammatical errors remain, including “Greetings, hope you are doing well,” which lacks a clear subject, and “It has a been a great experience,” where the article is misplaced. In “near to my workplace at less than ten minutes of walk,” the preposition and construction are not controlled. The long opening sentence also joins several ideas with commas rather than clearly separating them. More accurate sentence boundaries and careful checking of articles and clause structure would strengthen control.

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