Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-03

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 6.5)

Dear Faraz,

I hope you find this letter in good spirits. I remember you requesting a detailed information on the course I opted at university when we last met. I wanted to respond it in the form of a letter as it's a bit confusing to send it on SMS.

I chose to take a Master's degree in mechanical engineering, which is a 2-year degree program at University of Windsor. I would absolutely recommend you to aim for this university as it has one of the best laboratories for mechanical studies all over Ontario. Also, they have a tremendous faculty in this university. They provides 2 intakes per year which are, fall and spring intakes. The applications for fall intake starts from January and for spring its from September of the previous year. So, if you want to get admitted, you need to start planning according to this timeline.

If you require any more information on this, please do reach out to me. I'd gladly help you out.

Regards,

Pranith

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter covers all three bullet points: it describes the Master's degree in mechanical engineering, explains the recommendation based on laboratory facilities and faculty, and provides a timeline for applications. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For example, while you mention the 'tremendous faculty,' you could have provided a specific example of why they are helpful. Similarly, the advice on how to apply is quite brief. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is expanded with more detail or personal insight to fully satisfy the reader's request for advice.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Also' and 'So,' though the transition between the course description and the application advice could be smoother. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different requirements of the task. The referencing is generally clear, and the letter maintains a consistent, friendly tone throughout. To improve, try to use a wider variety of linking words to connect your sentences more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'opted,' 'intakes,' and 'timeline' correctly. There are some minor issues with collocation, such as 'respond it' (should be 'respond to it') and 'detailed information' (information is uncountable, so 'a piece of detailed information' or just 'detailed information' is better). The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, but it lacks the sophistication or less common lexical items that would characterize a higher band score. Focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are several grammatical errors that persist. For instance, 'They provides' is a subject-verb agreement error (should be 'They provide'), and 'the applications... starts' (should be 'start'). Additionally, 'requesting a detailed information' is incorrect as 'information' is an uncountable noun. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and article usage to improve your accuracy.

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

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