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 Vrushali,

I hope this you are doing well.

I am writing to share my experience studying abroad In the USA at Boston University as part of my University course.

I completed my first three years of MS in Mechanical Engineering at Mumbai University and the for the final year I moved to US to complete my final year at Boston University. Overall, studying abroad was an amazing experience. I had the opportunity to experience life and education in the United States, which was very valuable and enriching.

Usa is country full of opportunities if you have the talent which they require. people in the US are slightly shy and inward at first but if you befriend them they can be the best friend. In addition, you would get to meet people from all around the world so you can get to know their culture, food and their perspective when you speak with them.

I experienced different styles of teaching and perspectives and it was well worth. Also, there was a lot practical learning which happened which was really helpull in understanding complex subjects. Apart from that, I was able to imporve my critical thinking skills and communication skills and became confident and more knowledgeable.

I hope feedback has helped you, but if you have any further questions please feel free to get back to me.

Kind regards,

Sankalp Diwate.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter covers all three bullet points effectively. You clearly identify the location (Boston University), describe the cultural aspects of the USA, and explain the academic benefits of the experience. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend's sister, maintaining a helpful and encouraging persona throughout. The ideas are relevant and sufficiently developed to meet the requirements of the task. To reach a higher band, you could provide more specific examples of what you learned about the country or more detailed academic benefits, such as specific research projects or unique teaching methods you encountered.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, which helps the reader follow your ideas easily. You use some cohesive devices like 'In addition' and 'Apart from that' to link your thoughts. However, the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that transitions between sentences are smoother. Some sentences feel slightly disconnected, and the paragraphing is functional but could be more sophisticated to enhance the overall progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'enriching', 'opportunities', and 'critical thinking'. However, there are some minor errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'helpull' and 'imporve'. Additionally, some phrasing is slightly repetitive or simplistic, such as 'if you befriend them they can be the best friend'. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and less common vocabulary to express your ideas with more nuance. The current range is sufficient for communication but lacks the flexibility and precision required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'I hope this you are doing well', 'Usa is country', and 'there was a lot practical learning which happened which was really helpull'. These errors are frequent enough to be noticeable but do not impede communication. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, article usage, and reducing redundant relative clauses. Increasing the variety of complex structures while maintaining accuracy will help you achieve a higher score in this criterion.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.