Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-15

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 6.0)

Dear owner,

I rented your apartment five months ealier, and we had an agreement. Although the contract was of six months, now i want to extend the agreement duration to 12 months.

I moved here, in the city, to grab a job, and i planed to change the agreement if i got a job, otherwise i will leave the apartment according to the time period written in contract. Now i have a job, and i want to increase the duration to 12 months.

Moreover, a few critical problems have emerged in the apartment regarding drainage and electrical wiring. Water leaking from the kitchen sink and toilet demage the floor and the underground electrical wiring, which can cause to earthing and settle down of floor in near future.

Please consider my humbel request to extend the time of the contract, and try to fix the issues of the apartment as soon as possible.

Best Regards,

XYZ.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address all three required points: you request an extension to 12 months, explain that you have now found a job, and report problems with the drainage and electrical wiring. The purpose is clear and the request is supported by relevant details, including the possible damage caused by the leak. This meets the task well, with some elements already showing the clear, developed response expected at a stronger level. However, the explanation of your changed plans is brief, and the description of the apartment problem is difficult to follow in places, particularly the link between the leak, wiring and floor. Clarifying these details and stating whether the 12 months means 12 months in total or an additional 12 months would make the letter more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a generally clear sequence: you introduce the rental agreement, explain your new employment, describe the apartment problem, and finish with a request. Paragraphing helps separate these points, and connectors such as “Although” and “Moreover” guide the reader. However, some links are mechanical or unclear. For example, “Although the contract was of six months” does not connect smoothly to the request, and the long sentence beginning “Water leaking” combines several consequences without showing their relationship clearly. Use shorter sentences for the problem and connect each consequence explicitly. A conventional opening and a more polished closing would also make the letter’s progression and tone feel more consistent.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the situation, including “agreement,” “extend,” “drainage,” “electrical wiring,” and “leaking,” so the main message is understandable. There are also attempts at more specific language, such as describing possible damage to the floor and wiring. However, several spelling and word-choice errors reduce precision: “ealier,” “planed,” “demage,” and “humbel” should be corrected, while “grab a job” is too informal for a letter to a landlord. Some phrases are also unnatural, including “increase the duration” and “settle down of floor.” Choose more conventional collocations and check spelling carefully; this would make your vocabulary more accurate and appropriate to the formal purpose.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a conditional explanation of your original plan: “if i got a job, otherwise i will leave.” The overall meaning is usually recoverable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity. In that example, the conditional structure needs to be recast, and “now i want” requires a capital letter and consistent tense control. The sentence beginning “Water leaking from the kitchen sink and toilet” is not a complete, well-formed sentence, and “which can cause to” has an incorrect grammatical pattern. There are also issues with articles and phrasing, such as “in the city.” Aim for complete sentences and review conditional forms, verb patterns and punctuation.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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