Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 Pulkit,

Hope you are doing well.

I would like to request you an extension of my apartment lease agreement. Earlier, we agreed upon six-month term because of my job status, and now, I completed my probation period thus I am permanent full-time employee. Due to this change, I am willing to stay in the same condo for an another year. Additionally, I am enjoying myself in this beautiful home because my job location is at walking distance, and all amenities are nearby such as gym, grocery store, and bus station. Furthermore, I notice some leakage on the top wall of kitchen. I think it is drainage line issue from the apartment above on the next floor. I have asked facility manager about the same but they told me to raise this concern with you, and you should generate a ticket on the apartment portal. I wish they will fix it before it gets worse.

Thank you,

Kamil Ghori.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The letter clearly covers all three requested points: you ask to extend the rental, explain that completing probation has made you a permanent full-time employee, and report leakage in the kitchen. The request to stay “for an another year” gives a definite duration, while the nearby workplace and amenities help explain why you want to remain. The problem is also described with a possible cause and the facility manager’s instructions, so the owner has useful context. These details make the purpose clear and the ideas generally well supported. To make the response even more complete, state explicitly that you are asking to extend the original six-month agreement, and make the requested action on the leak more direct—for example, ask the owner to arrange an inspection or repair.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The information follows a sensible order: you make the extension request, explain your changed circumstances and reasons for staying, then raise the maintenance issue and close politely. Linking expressions such as “Due to this change,” “Additionally,” and “Furthermore” help show how the points relate. However, the letter is presented as one long body paragraph, so the shift from your rental plans to the kitchen leak is not visually clear. Some transitions also feel mechanical because several are stacked in sequence. Use separate paragraphs for the extension and the repair issue, and rely on simpler links or clear topic sentences. This would make the progression easier to follow and improve the control of cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of vocabulary for a formal request, including “extension,” “probation period,” “permanent full-time employee,” “amenities,” and “leakage.” These choices communicate the main points clearly, and the apartment-related terms are relevant. Some collocations and word choices are less natural, however: “request you an extension” and “walking distance” do not fit their sentence patterns smoothly, while “generate a ticket” sounds overly technical without a clear explanation. “Beautiful home” is also more personal than necessary in a letter to a landlord. Aim for precise, natural phrases such as “request an extension to my lease,” “within walking distance,” and “submit a maintenance request.” This would make the vocabulary more consistently idiomatic and appropriately formal.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response includes a mix of simple and more developed sentence forms, including the explanation beginning “Earlier, we agreed…” and the longer sentence describing the facility manager’s advice. Most meaning remains clear, but some grammatical errors are noticeable. For example, “I would like to request you an extension” needs a different verb pattern, and “an another year” has an article error. The sentence “Earlier, we agreed upon six-month term” also needs an article, and “I wish they will fix it” uses an unsuitable tense pattern after “wish.” Review article use, verb complementation, and tense choices in longer sentences. Breaking the final maintenance explanation into two sentences would also help you maintain accuracy while still showing a range of structures.

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

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