Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-02

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 7.0)

Dear Mr Eric,

I hope this find you in good health. I am Mercy one of your tenant who rented the block 123 apartment in Johnson street 3 months ago on a 6 months tenancy agreement, and I am writing to express my interest in extending my stay for another six-months period.

I initially rented the apartment for the 6-month period because of the nature of my work. As at the time, I gained an employment on a six-month contract basis with the M and B ltd. Recently, the organization did some restructuring which affected my initial contract, extending it for another 6-months period. For this reason, I would be staying longer than initially agreed upon.

I have noticed for the past 3 months of my stay here that the kitchen tap is not working and the toilet door does not close properly. I would appreciate it if you could send a plumber and a carpenter to come and fix these problems.

Thank you for your constant help and I look forward to a positive response from you.

Yours sincerely,

Mercy John.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The letter clearly covers all three requested points: you ask to extend the rental for a further six months, explain that your employer extended your contract, and report the faulty kitchen tap and toilet door. The reason for the change is relevant and easy to understand, and the repair request gives the owner a practical next step. The purpose and polite tone remain clear throughout. To make the response more fully developed, clarify the timing of the extension—for example, whether the additional six months would begin when the current agreement ends—and briefly indicate when the repairs would be convenient. These small additions would make the request more precise while preserving the effective coverage already present.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

The information is arranged in a clear sequence: the opening states your request, the next paragraph explains the changed work circumstances, and the final paragraph raises the apartment problems and closes politely. This paragraphing makes the letter easy to follow, and links such as “For this reason” show the relationship between your employment change and your request. The progression is logical throughout. To strengthen cohesion further, use a slightly clearer transition into the maintenance issue, since it shifts from your rental plans to repairs quite abruptly. You could also connect the repair request directly to the two problems, rather than relying on “these problems” alone. Overall, the organisation is effective and the cohesive devices are used flexibly.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a formal rental letter, including “extending my stay,” “six-month contract basis,” “restructuring,” and “initially agreed upon.” These choices communicate the situation clearly, and the repair vocabulary is appropriate. Some expressions are less natural or precise, however: “block 123 apartment” and “gained an employment” do not sound idiomatic, while “constant help” may imply ongoing assistance that has not been established. There is also some repetition of “six-month” and “period.” More natural collocations and a little greater precision would improve fluency and control. The meaning remains clear despite these word-choice issues.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response includes both simple and more complex sentence forms, such as the explanation beginning “I initially rented the apartment… because of the nature of my work” and the sentence describing the contract extension. Most ideas are conveyed clearly, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “I hope this find you” needs subject–verb agreement (“finds”), and “I am Mercy one of your tenant” needs punctuation and plural agreement (“I am Mercy, one of your tenants”). The phrase “I gained an employment” also has an article problem, and “another six-months period” uses an unnecessary plural ending. Review agreement, articles, and hyphenated time expressions; these corrections would make the otherwise understandable sentences more accurate.

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