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 Hira,

I am really glad to receive your letter after such a long time. I admit we have been out of touch due to my work, however I will try to write to you more often.

Since you are interested to gather information for your sister regarding my opinion and experiences while I was studying in Toronto. I will share both sides of the story.

My university was located in Grand Toronto Area. It is near city centre, hence it is accessible from any part of the city. Almost all food joints are on walking distance and you can easily spot restaurants serving halal food. Most important thing is the faculty, the professors here are all Harvard grads.

During my stay in Toronto, Canada, as I didn't have any close family members, loneliness started to hit me. Specially on religious occasions, I had no one to celebrate. People here are really welcoming as most of them are immigrants.

Lastly, despite all the pros and cons, I believe when you get exposure in an international institute, it opens new horizons for you intellectually. Even I secured a good package after graduation. I highly recommend availing this opportunity.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Best Wishes

Shaneel

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The letter gives relevant information about studying in Toronto and explains that international exposure broadened your intellectual horizons and helped you secure a good job. However, the three requested points are not covered equally. The location is described in some detail, but the account of what you learnt about Canada is mostly limited to people being welcoming and many being immigrants; a specific cultural or academic insight would develop this point. The benefit to your studies is also asserted rather than explained: connect the experience to particular skills, knowledge, or coursework. The opening spends space on being out of touch, and the reference to your friend’s sister is unclear. Address her directly and organise the content around her questions.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The message has a recognisable letter structure, with a greeting, paragraphs, and a friendly closing. Its ideas are generally understandable, and phrases such as “During my stay” and “Lastly” signal movement through the account. However, progression is not consistently clear: “Since you are interested to gather information…” is an incomplete sentence, and “I will share both sides of the story” does not clearly introduce the following details. The paragraph beginning “During my stay” shifts from loneliness to a general observation about Canadians without a clear link. Use separate, purposeful paragraphs for the location, what you learnt about the country, and the academic benefits, with clearer transitions and references to the recipient.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range for a personal letter, including phrases such as “out of touch,” “exposure,” “opens new horizons,” and “highly recommend.” These choices communicate your experience and give the letter a suitably friendly tone. Some wording is imprecise or does not collocate naturally, which limits the overall control: “Grand Toronto Area” is not the usual name, “on walking distance” is awkward, and “good package” is vague in this context. “Gather information for your sister regarding my opinion” is also unnecessarily indirect. Prefer precise, natural expressions such as “Greater Toronto Area,” “within walking distance,” and “a well-paid job offer.” More specific vocabulary about Canadian culture and your academic learning would also make the response more informative.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response includes a mix of simple and more complex forms, and several sentences are clear, such as “People here are really welcoming as most of them are immigrants.” However, some grammatical errors remain, although the main message is usually understandable. “Since you are interested to gather information…” is a dependent clause presented as a sentence; revise it to “Since you’re interested in hearing about my experience, I’ll share it with you.” In “I admit we have been out of touch due to my work, however…,” the clauses need clearer punctuation or a conjunction. There are also errors in prepositions and articles, as in “in Grand Toronto Area” and “on walking distance.” Practise complete sentence structures and check preposition patterns and punctuation.

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