Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-23
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 Riya,
I am writing to inform you that I just completed my master's in Ingolstadt University and currently I am living in Dresden in Germany. Your sister told me that you wanted to know about my education experience here in Germany. Initially, it was a difficult for me just because of the German. However, I chose MSC in global engineering and management course in English.
I learnt German after coming here, if you are a beginner then it is fine if you start your education in English but you must have to complete A2 level of German language. After completing A2 level, I was able to communicate with anyone. However, I am not fluent but it made my life easy.
I got a job directly after completing my studies and after doing all the expenses I still saved good amount of income and that I sent for my family in India. Whereas, you cannot even expect it as a starting salary in India.
Your lovingly,
Dhwani Thummar.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
The candidate successfully covers all bullet points of the prompt. First, the letter addresses where the writer studied by mentioning Ingolstadt University and living in Dresden, Germany. Second, it describes what was learnt about the country, noting the initial language barrier and the importance of learning German. Third, the response explains how the year abroad helped with studies and subsequent career success, such as securing a direct job and financial savings. The tone is mostly appropriate for a letter to a friend's sister, though the relationship feels slightly more professional than personal at times. Overall, all parts of the task are adequately addressed.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The letter is generally clear and easy to follow, with a basic logical organization. Paragraphs are used to separate different points, such as the introduction and location, the language learning aspect, and the post-graduation benefits. However, cohesive devices are somewhat mechanical or repetitive, as seen in the frequent use of 'However' and 'After completing'. Additionally, the opening greeting uses 'Dear Riya,' correctly, but the sign-off 'Your lovingly,' contains a minor grammatical slip. Despite these minor cohesive flaws, the overall progression of ideas is discernible.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, with some attempts at less common lexical items such as 'master's', 'beginner', and 'communicate'. However, there are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices, such as 'completed my master's in Ingolstadt University' instead of 'at', and 'saved good amount of income' missing an article. Phrases like 'education experience' and 'starting salary in India' demonstrate a functional command of vocabulary, but the range remains somewhat limited and occasionally unnatural, preventing a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'However, I chose MSC in global engineering and management course in English.' There are, however, several grammatical errors throughout the text, including missing articles ('a difficult for me', 'saved good amount'), incorrect prepositions ('in Ingolstadt University'), and unnecessary phrasing ('you must have to complete'). Errors like 'I am not fluent but it made my life easy' show weaker control of conjunctions and punctuation. While these errors do not impede overall communication, they occur frequently enough to cap the score at band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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