Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-11-06
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
A friend of yours is thinking about applying for the same course that you did at university. He/She has asked for your advice about studying this subject. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter
- give details of the course you took at the university
- explain why you recommend the university
- give some advice about how to apply
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear .................. ,
Student answer (Band 6.0)
Dear Emeka,
I'm writing this letter to advice you on the course that I did when I was in the Uni.
When i was in the Uni. I studied mechanical engineering and it was a 6 years course, though it was a tough course, I know that you'll survive it beacuse you are a brilliant guy.
I recommend that you go university abuja because they are very good in mechanical engineering and they have good lecturers. They have 7 profs. and 8 Drs. As their lecturers, so they will teach you very well my guy.
I'd like to give you some tips on how to apply for the course. You can only apply through their website which is www.uniabuja.edu.ng when you log into the website on the left corner you'll see the apply button use it. You must be very careful not to choose wrong course because there other couses that looks like mechanical enginering, course like mechatronics engineering.
I wish you all the best my guy, hopefully we'll hook up this weekend.
Kind Regards,
Kingsley.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
You address all three requested points: you identify mechanical engineering as a six-year course, recommend the University of Abuja and give reasons, and explain how to apply through its website. The advice about choosing the correct course is particularly relevant. However, some details are less fully developed than others. For example, the university recommendation relies mainly on the number of professors and doctors and the general claim that they teach well; a specific benefit of the course or student experience would make this more convincing. The application instructions are useful but could be clearer about what documents or steps to prepare. The friendly opening and closing suit the intended reader, and the purpose of the letter remains clear throughout. To strengthen the response, expand the reasons for your recommendation and make the application advice more complete.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The letter has a clear overall arrangement: it introduces the purpose, describes the course, recommends the university, gives application advice, and closes warmly. Paragraphing helps the reader follow these stages, and phrases such as “I’d like to give you some tips” signal a change of topic. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent organisation and also shows some features of stronger progression. However, cohesion is not always smooth: “When i was in the Uni. I studied…” creates an awkward break, and the long application sentence combines several instructions without clear punctuation. Some links between ideas are also abrupt, particularly the move from the lecturer numbers to “so they will teach you very well.” Use complete sentences and clearer transitions to make the progression more fluent.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
Your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main information, including course-related terms such as “mechanical engineering,” “lecturers,” and “mechatronics engineering.” The informal expressions “my guy” and “hook up” help establish a friendly relationship, although repeated use of “my guy” and broad phrases such as “very good” limit precision and range. There are also noticeable spelling and word-form errors, including “beacuse,” “couses,” and “enginering,” which reduce the accuracy of the vocabulary. Some phrasing is not natural in this context, such as “advice you on the course” and “go university abuja.” Aim for more precise descriptions of the university and course, and check spelling and collocations carefully while retaining an appropriately friendly tone.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You use a mixture of simple sentences and some longer structures, including the contrast in “though it was a tough course” and the conditional warning about choosing the wrong course. The main message is generally understandable, but some grammatical and punctuation errors remain. For example, “When i was in the Uni. I studied…” incorrectly separates a dependent opening from its main clause, while “I recommend that you go university abuja” is missing grammatical elements. In “there other couses,” the sentence lacks a subject and verb form, and the application instructions run together without full stops. Capitalisation is also inconsistent, as in “i” and “Uni.” Work on complete sentence structure, articles and prepositions, and punctuation in longer sentences. More accurate control of these patterns would make your advice easier to read.
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