Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-30

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 Khushi,

I hope you are doing great by the grace of god. I am writing this letter to share with you my experience studying abroad. I am really pleased to hear that you are planning to take the same one.

During my study abroad, I was in Canada for my master's in management. It was really wonderful to study abroad in a different environment with different people. I had really fun and had some wonderful experiences.

However, during my studies, I learnt essential skills, including teamwork and problem-solving. I learnt a lot about Canadian culture and their lifestyle. In addition, during my studies, I explored many parts of Canada and learnt about its history.

The year abroad was really helpful during my education. I met different students and learnt new techniques to solve problems easily. Most importantly, my English became very fluent for communication, which helped me to talk with local people to get a better understanding of their religion and lifestyle.

I will definitely recommend that you study abroad if you have the opportunity.

Kind regards,

Kevin

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The student has successfully addressed all bullet points outlined in the prompt. First, Kevin clearly states where he studied by mentioning 'I was in Canada for my master's in management.' Second, he describes what he learnt about the country, highlighting 'essential skills, including teamwork and problem-solving' alongside cultural aspects like Canadian lifestyle and history. Finally, he explains how the year abroad helped his education by improving his communication skills and problem-solving techniques. The tone is suitably friendly and appropriate for a letter to a friend's sister. All parts of the task are adequately covered and supported with relevant details, fulfilling the requirements for a Band 7.0 performance.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter demonstrates a clear overall progression and logical organisation. The writing follows a natural structure, beginning with an appropriate salutation ('Dear Khushi,') and concluding with a warm sign-off. Paragraphs are used sufficiently and appropriately to separate distinct ideas, such as introduction, location, learnings, and educational benefits. Cohesive devices are used, although phrases like 'during my studies' and 'during my study abroad' are repeated rather frequently, making the cohesion slightly mechanical in places. However, referencing is generally clear and the reader can easily follow the sequence of ideas, placing this response firmly in the Band 6.5 to 7.0 range.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'master's in management', 'essential skills', and 'teamwork and problem-solving'. There are some instances of slightly repetitive or less natural phrasing, such as 'had really fun' instead of 'had a lot of fun' or 'truly enjoyed myself'. Word choice is generally clear, and spelling is accurate throughout the text. While the lexical range lacks the flexibility and precision required for higher bands, it is sufficient to communicate the message clearly, matching the Band 6.0 descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

Kevin demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and prepositional phrases (e.g., 'which helped me to talk with local people to get a better understanding'). There are some minor grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'by the grace of god' (which is slightly informal and uncapitalised) and 'take the same one' instead of 'do the same thing'. Punctuation is generally accurate, and sentence structures do not impede communication. The control over grammar is decent, with frequent error-free sentences, supporting a solid Band 6.5 score.

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