Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-07

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 Sarah,

I am delighted to hear that you are going abroad for studying in Canada, the country I also went for my further studies. It is a wise decision to go there where safety and infrastructural facilities are not a concern.

Can you tell me which area and university your are going to? I went to Carlton University in Otawa more precisely and I can relate that there, you will adorn the culture, atmosphere and amenities that they offer. It is located in the City Centre and easily accessible either by Tram or bus.

Canada in itself is a stylish and well developped country. People are very much cultured and helpful and knowing you, I don't think you will have problem in adaptation. However, the main issue is probably the cold season but with appropriate clothing, this will go on smoothly.

Studying abroad will help you become autonome. You may encounter a few difficulties at start but in the long term you will manage. The moment you find a good balance between your studies and personal life, you will shine.

I wish you all the best for your endeavour and will be happy to answer to your further queries.

With warm wishes,

Faranaz

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address all three requested points: you identify Carleton University in Ottawa, comment on Canadian culture and climate, and explain that studying abroad can build independence and help with balancing study and personal life. The letter is relevant and appropriately directed to Sarah. However, the country description is mostly general (“stylish and well developped” and “People are very much cultured and helpful”), rather than sharing specific things you learnt from your own experience. The explanation of how the year helped your studies is also brief and focuses more on personal independence than on academic benefits. Develop these two points with concrete examples—for instance, a study skill, course experience, or insight into Canadian life—to make the response more complete and persuasive.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a clear overall arrangement: it opens with a friendly response, gives information about the university, describes Canada, and ends with advice and a warm closing. Paragraphing helps the reader follow these topics, and phrases such as “However” and “The moment” signal relationships between ideas. Some connections are less clear or feel mechanical: “Can you tell me which area and university your are going to?” interrupts the account of your own experience, while “The moment you find a good balance” does not clearly link the year abroad to academic progress. Keep the focus on the requested points and use clearer transitions to show how your experiences led to specific benefits.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of vocabulary for a personal letter, including “infrastructural facilities,” “adaptation,” “appropriate clothing,” and “balance between your studies and personal life.” These choices help convey practical advice, and the meaning is generally clear. However, several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “going abroad for studying,” “adorn the culture,” “stylish country,” and “answer to your further queries.” There are also spelling errors in “Otawa” and “developped.” Aim for more natural expressions and check spelling: for example, say “study abroad,” “experience the culture,” and “a developed country.” More precise vocabulary about your academic experience would also strengthen the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including the relative clause in “the country I also went for my further studies” and the conditional structure “with appropriate clothing, this will go on smoothly.” Most sentences communicate the intended meaning, and errors rarely prevent understanding. Some grammatical inaccuracies remain, however: “your are going to” should be “you are going to,” and “I went to Carlton University … and I can relate that there” has an awkwardly constructed clause. In “you will have problem,” the singular count noun needs an article or plural form. Review articles, pronouns, and clause construction, and make sure longer sentences express relationships clearly.

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