Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear Asha,

Hope this letter finds you well. Firstly, Congratulations for your study abroad program in California State University Fullerton. I am so happy that you are finally having your dream come true of studying abroad in the USA.

As you know, I studied at the same university two years ago and completed my one year diploma in language studies. I had an amazing time in the USA. Fullerton is a great city and has range of options for restaurants and places to visit. I know you are very fond of shopping and you will be delighted to see one mall in particular.

I am aware that you are going to CSUF to complete a part of your university course. You should be lucky to have this opportunity in hand. Many people would only wish to get an opportunity like this one.

Along with studies, I also fell in love with USA and the people there. Everyone was so welcoming and best part about that country is the diversity and still feels like everyone is equal. However, stories apart, make sure you study well and get the most out of the year you have there in the states. The research that I was involved in during my course really helped me understand the core and basics of the course and proved fruitful in landing me a job here in India.

I am extremely proud of you and I know you will study well and have the best time there in California.

Sincerely,

Abhi

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly identify the university, describe your observations about the country (diversity and equality), and explain the academic benefits of the experience. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend's sister, maintaining a friendly and encouraging persona throughout. The ideas are relevant and well-developed, providing a clear picture of your experience. To reach a higher band, ensure that the connection between the 'research' mentioned and your specific studies is slightly more explicit, as the transition from general observations to academic benefits is a bit abrupt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate different topics. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Along with studies' and 'However', which help the flow of ideas. However, some transitions between sentences feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing could be smoother. For instance, the jump from discussing shopping to the university opportunity could be bridged with a more natural linking phrase. Overall, the progression of ideas is easy to follow, and the letter maintains a consistent focus.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using phrases like 'dream come true', 'fruitful', and 'welcoming'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'You should be lucky to have this opportunity', which sounds slightly unnatural; 'You are fortunate to have this opportunity' would be more precise. Additionally, there are some minor collocation issues, such as 'has range of options' (missing an article: 'a range of options'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, incorporating more sophisticated collocations or idiomatic expressions would elevate the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'Congratulations for your study' (should be 'on your study') and 'best part about that country is the diversity and still feels like everyone is equal' (which lacks a subject in the second clause). Punctuation is generally sound, though there are occasional slips. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher band score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and preposition usage will help improve your accuracy.

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

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