Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-02
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
The younger sister of one of your friends is thinking about spending a year studying abroad as part of her university course. You did this recently, and she has asked you about your experience.
Write a letter to your friend's sister. In your letter
tell her where you studied during your year abroad
describe what you learnt about the country you studied in
explain why your year abroad was helpful for your studies
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear........,
Student answer (Band 6.5)
Dear Sita,
I want to share my one year experience as a international student in my university program. I have completed the Business Insights and Analytics course from Humber college in Ontario, Canada.
I have learnt multiple things which i want to share with you. Here in Canada people comes from different countries. so I not only got a chance to learn about their cultures, traditions and rituals but I also tasted their famous cuisines. What I liked the most was the habit of talking to everyone with a smile. They greet everyone even they are known or unknown.
In Canada, professors focus on practical knowledge rather then theoretical which really help in future when we are seeking the job. In class presentation boost our confidence level and communication skills.
Overall, i can say that by studying abroad you will not only boost your knowledge but you will also develop your skills.
your faithfully
HImanshi
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
You have addressed all three bullet points of the task: you mentioned where you studied (Humber College, Canada), described what you learned about the country (culture, cuisine, and social habits), and explained the benefits for your studies (practical knowledge and confidence). The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend's sister. To improve, ensure you expand slightly more on the 'why' aspect; while you mentioned practical knowledge, providing a specific example of how this helped your studies would elevate the response to a higher band. Overall, the task is fulfilled effectively.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The letter follows a logical progression, moving from the introduction to the specific details requested. Paragraphing is used to separate the different topics, which helps the reader follow your ideas. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat basic. You rely heavily on simple transitions like 'In Canada' or 'Overall'. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate a wider variety of linking words and phrases to connect your sentences more fluidly, such as 'Furthermore', 'Consequently', or 'In addition to this'. Referencing is generally clear, though some sentence structures feel slightly disjointed.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. You use relevant terms like 'international student', 'practical knowledge', and 'communication skills'. However, there are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'people comes' (should be 'people come') and 'even they are known or unknown' (should be 'whether they are known or unknown'). Additionally, the closing 'your faithfully' is incorrect for a letter to a friend's sister; 'Best wishes' or 'Warmly' would be more appropriate. Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise adjectives and adverbs would improve your score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors that persist throughout the text. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('people comes'), incorrect preposition usage ('rather then' should be 'rather than'), and punctuation errors (missing commas and capitalization of 'i'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher band score. Focus on proofreading your work to catch these small but noticeable slips, particularly regarding verb forms and basic punctuation rules.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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