Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-31

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,

I am writing this letter to request you for extension of my apartment lease from six to twelve months instead. I have been currently hunting apartments in the area nearby my university, but finding a good furnished apartment as yours is hard.

Let me explain you my situation, as my university course was of one year,however when I came to Canada, I was not able to find a suitable accomodation nearby my university. At that time, I was your advertisement about leasing an apartment for six months. I badly needed shelter that time, as a result, I chose this apartment, although it was 1 hour away from my university. However, this place has bought good fortune in my life and also, this 1 hour commute provides me time each day to listen to a podcast or read a book while travelling.However, I have been consistently looking for a suitable place, but cannot find one like this.

Hence, I would like to live in this apartment until my graduation. Whereas, there is little problem with water leakage in the kitchen tap. Please visit the apartment to fix it or send a plumber at your earliest convenience.

Thankyou in anticipation.

Yours sincerely,

Rasanpreet Jaura

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

You address all three required points and maintain a clear, polite request throughout. The proposed extension from six to twelve months is explicit, and you explain that your university course lasts a year and that suitable nearby accommodation has been difficult to find. The commute and your positive experience in the apartment add relevant support for staying. You also identify the kitchen tap leak and ask the owner to arrange a repair. These details make the purpose clear and the ideas generally well supported. To make the letter more fully developed, state the exact end date or duration you hope to stay after the original agreement, and explain more directly how the changed university plans mean you need the apartment for longer. A more conventional opening and closing would also suit this formal request.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall shape: you make the request first, explain your circumstances in the middle, and finish with the repair issue and a courteous closing. The sequence is understandable, and linking expressions such as “However” and “Hence” help show relationships between ideas. At times, though, cohesion feels mechanical or the links are not quite logical. For example, “However” is repeated close together, and “Hence” introduces the request to stay until graduation after a paragraph that already states the extension request. The long middle paragraph also combines several points, making the progression less smooth. Separate the explanation of your changed plans from your positive reasons for staying, and use clearer transitions and punctuation between sentences.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for the purpose and includes useful phrases such as “apartment lease,” “suitable accommodation,” “commute,” and “water leakage.” These choices communicate the situation clearly, and you attempt some less common expressions. However, several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, including “request you for extension,” “bought good fortune,” and “I was your advertisement.” There are also spelling and form issues, such as “accomodation” and “Thankyou.” These do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision and naturalness. Aim for standard letter-writing phrases and check spelling carefully; for example, say “request an extension,” “saw your advertisement,” and “has been a good place for me.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including clauses with “as,” “although,” and “while,” and the main message remains clear. Some grammatical errors occur, but they rarely obstruct communication. Examples include “Let me explain you my situation,” where the verb pattern is incorrect, and “as my university course was of one year,” which has an awkward structure. The sentence beginning “At that time, I was your advertisement” is also missing a grammatical link, while “there is little problem” needs an article. Punctuation and spacing around sentence boundaries are inconsistent, particularly in “one year,however” and “travelling.However.” Review verb patterns, articles, and sentence boundaries, while retaining your attempts at complex sentences.

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