Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear Sir,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing to you regarding staying in the apartment; I want to stay longer.

First of all, I want to stay for one year because my job and other things are nearby, so I can easily travel or do my work. I would like to change the agreement from six months to a longer term because my plans have changed: my job was temporary, but now they have offered me a permanent position, so I want to stay longer. Finally, I want to mention one issue I have been facing for 2 weeks: the heating system isn't working properly, and sometimes I work at night.

Thank you for considering my request. I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards,

Vinaya

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three required points: you request a one-year extension, explain that your temporary job has become permanent, and report that the heating system has not been working properly. These details are relevant and the purpose of the letter is clear. However, the explanation of why you want to stay is somewhat repetitive, and the heating problem is only briefly described; for example, you could explain how it affects the apartment or ask the owner to arrange a repair. The response also contains 130 words, so it does not meet the 150-word minimum. Develop the reasons and the repair request with a little more detail to make the letter more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter follows a clear overall order: it opens with the request, gives the reason for extending the stay, raises the apartment problem, and closes politely. The sequence is easy to follow, and phrases such as “First of all” and “Finally” help signal the points. However, these transitions feel somewhat mechanical, and the first two sentences of the main paragraph repeat the wish to stay longer. The letter would progress more smoothly if you grouped the extension request and its explanation together, then used a separate paragraph for the heating issue. This would add clearer paragraphing and reduce repetition while preserving the coherent arrangement already present.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for the purpose, and expressions such as “temporary,” “permanent position,” and “heating system” communicate the key information clearly. The tone is generally polite and appropriate for writing to a landlord. However, some wording is broad or repetitive, including “other things,” “stay longer,” and “one issue.” The phrase “do my work” is also less precise than the context allows. More specific language would help you explain your circumstances and the repair problem with greater precision. You could describe the heating as “malfunctioning” and refer to “work commitments” or “nearby amenities,” while keeping the language natural rather than overly formal.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, and most of the message is easy to understand. The sentence explaining that your job “was temporary, but now they have offered me a permanent position” shows an effective contrast between past and present circumstances. Some sentence construction is less controlled: “I am writing to you regarding staying in the apartment; I want to stay longer” joins the purpose and request awkwardly, while “my job and other things are nearby, so I can easily travel or do my work” has an unclear relationship between its ideas. The sentence about working at night also leaves the connection to the heating problem implicit. Use clearer clause structures and punctuation to make these relationships explicit.

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