Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-27

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 Anna,

I hope you're doing well. I just learned from your mother that you are thinking about applying for the marketing management course, the same course that I chose.

First of all, this course is basically about marketing; you will learn different things related to marketing, such as advertising, promotion, public relations, etc. I did a lot of research to find a university that is good for marketing, and then I got to know about the University of Winnipeg from one of my friends; this university helps students financially by providing scholarships. They promote industrial visits so that students have hands-on experience before entering the industry.

I recommend applying to this university because there are a lot of internship opportunities; moreover, this university helps to find a job. They organise different job fairs for their students.

If you want to apply to this university, apply before 1 October, the deadline for the application, and make sure all your documents are ready; they can demand anything from you. It would be great if you could visit the university in person before applying to any of the courses.

Let me know if you need any help from my side.

Best wishes,

Manjot

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three requirements: you describe the marketing course, explain why you recommend the University of Winnipeg, and offer application advice. The details about scholarships, industrial visits, internships and job fairs make the recommendation relevant and give your friend practical reasons to consider the university. Your advice to apply before 1 October and prepare documents is also useful. To strengthen the response further, develop the course description with a little more specific information about what you studied or how the course was structured. The warning that the university “can demand anything from you” is vague; naming likely documents or requirements would make this advice clearer and more helpful.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter is organised in a clear sequence: an opening that introduces the topic, a description of the course and university, reasons for recommending it, and practical application advice before the closing. Paragraphing supports this progression, and linking expressions such as “First of all” and “moreover” help connect ideas. The overall flow is easy to follow. Some transitions are a little formulaic, however, and the course details and university benefits are grouped together in one long paragraph. Separating these points, or using a more natural transition between them, would make the organisation more polished. The reference to “they” in “they can demand anything from you” is also not fully clear.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for an informal letter, including relevant terms such as “public relations,” “scholarships,” “hands-on experience,” “internship opportunities” and “job fairs.” These choices communicate the subject and the university’s benefits clearly. There are also some imprecise or repetitive expressions that limit flexibility: “different things related to marketing” is broad, while “they can demand anything from you” sounds vague and overly informal. “Helps to find a job” could be expressed more precisely as career support or employment assistance. Aim to use specific course and application vocabulary, and vary repeated general words such as “different” and “university.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response combines straightforward sentences with more complex structures, including “I did a lot of research … and then I got to know” and the conditional advice “If you want to apply …”. Most sentences are clear, and punctuation generally supports the meaning. Some grammatical choices are less controlled. In “I just learned from your mother that you are thinking about applying,” the tense sequence could be made more natural by using “I’ve just heard.” The phrase “before applying to any of the courses” is awkwardly structured in context; “before you apply for a course” would be clearer. The sentence beginning “If you want to apply” also carries several instructions at once, so dividing it would improve control. More consistently natural sentence patterns would strengthen accuracy.

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