Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-14

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. Sampson,

It is pleasure renting this apartment for almost six months. I am writing to ask you if we can extend our six-month agreement. I am Angelo, the one renting the unit 123A.

I would love to extend our agreement from six months to two years if possible. This apartment is really convenient to me because I have offered a good position that will last for two years. Therefore, I need to stay longer than the said agreement. This will help me arrive early at my work everyday.

However, there is a problem in my unit, there is water leaking in the bathroom, and that keep getting worse day by day. Although that is easy to fix, I do not want it to get worst. So I am asking if you could hire professional who can fix the problem.

Thank you and I hope you can consider my request to extend my rent here in your apartment.

Kind regards,

Angelo Sta. Ana

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three requirements: you request a longer rental period, explain that a new job will last two years, and report a worsening bathroom leak. Your purpose is clear throughout, and the request to extend the agreement to two years is specific. The reason for staying is relevant, although the point that the apartment helps you arrive early at work could be explained more clearly or linked more directly to why you want to remain there. The repair request is also clear, but you could add a practical detail, such as asking when the owner could arrange an inspection. Overall, the key ideas are relevant and supported, with some room to develop the explanation and request further.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter follows a clear progression: it opens with the purpose, explains the proposed extension and changed circumstances, raises the maintenance issue, and closes politely. Paragraphing helps distinguish these points, while linking expressions such as “Therefore” and “However” guide the reader through the message. The sequence is easy to follow, and the closing returns to the main request. To make the organisation more polished, avoid repeating the request in similar terms at the beginning and end, or use the final paragraph to specify what response you hope to receive. The transition into the leak issue is understandable, though a separate paragraph for the repair request would make the two purposes even clearer.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a practical letter, including “extend our agreement,” “convenient,” “position,” and “professional.” These choices communicate the main points, and the tone is generally polite. Some word choices and collocations are less natural, however: “It is pleasure renting” and “I have offered a good position” do not express the intended meanings idiomatically, while “hire professional” needs a more natural phrasing. There is also repetition of “problem” and “agreement.” Aim for more precise expressions such as “I have been offered a position” and “arrange for a qualified plumber to repair the leak.” These improvements would make the letter sound more fluent and appropriately formal.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response includes both simple sentences and more developed structures, such as “Although that is easy to fix, I do not want it to get worst,” and the meaning is generally clear. Some grammatical errors remain. For example, “It is pleasure” is missing an article, “I have offered a good position” uses the wrong subject and verb construction for the intended meaning, and “that keep getting worse” has a subject–verb agreement error. The sentence beginning “However, there is a problem in my unit” also joins two complete clauses with a comma. Review articles, agreement, and sentence boundaries, and practise combining ideas with accurate subordinate clauses. These corrections would improve control while preserving the range of structures you already attempt.

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