Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-09

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 6.0)

Dear Sofia,

I hope you are doing well. It was great to hear from you that you are going abroad for studying. I am really happy to share my experience of studied abroad.

Firstly, I was in Carleton university of Ottawa. I did business analysis course and stayed in sharing house near the university with one of my friends. I spent a great time with my friends.

Another thing is that this course gives me an opportunity to learn about the nation and college in which I studied. This is because I always took part in extra curricular activities and tried to perform in cultural program. That allows me to feel connected with local people and country. I learnt about history and culture of the nation.

Finally, I would love to share that my course was very helpful in my future studies. After finishing the course I find a placement job in two months and learn so many things in my placement.

I hope my experience is useful and that everything goes well.

Let me know if you need more information about university and course. I wish you a luck.

Yours truly,

Kajal Sharma.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly state where you studied (Carleton University), describe your cultural learning experiences, and explain the benefits for your future studies. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend's sister. However, some ideas are slightly under-developed; for instance, the explanation of how the course helped your future studies is a bit brief. To reach a higher band, you could provide more specific details about how the skills gained during your placement directly impacted your career or academic path. Overall, the response is relevant and addresses the task requirements effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Another thing', and 'Finally' to structure your points. While these are effective, the transition between ideas could be more sophisticated. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different requirements of the task. The referencing is generally clear, though some sentences feel slightly disjointed due to the limited variety of linking words. Increasing the use of more varied cohesive devices would improve the flow and help you achieve a higher score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'extra curricular activities' and 'placement job'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'sharing house' (should be 'shared house') and 'I wish you a luck' (should be 'I wish you luck'). These errors do not impede communication, but they indicate a need for more precise usage. To improve, focus on learning common collocations and ensuring that word forms are used correctly in context. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your message clearly but lacks the flexibility and precision required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'experience of studied abroad' (should be 'studying'), 'Carleton university of Ottawa' (should be 'Carleton University in Ottawa'), and 'I find a placement job' (should be 'I found'). These errors are noticeable and occur throughout the text. While the meaning remains clear, the frequency of these slips prevents a higher score. To improve, pay closer attention to verb tenses, article usage, and prepositions. Focusing on proofreading your work for these common errors will significantly enhance your grammatical accuracy.

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

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