Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-09

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 6.0)

Dear Jenny,

I'm happy that you are going to Canada to study and I am grateful that you chose me for advice. I spent some valuable time abroad as well for my studies, so I have some experience to share with you.

I studied an Arts and Science program at a well-known university in Vancouver, British Columbia named University Canada West. I noticed that you are also going to same institute. The professors and staff are very polite and good and help students to achieve their goals.

I learnt many things during that time. My experience was struggling and enjoyable because I have good friends who helped me with study. Also, I worked a part-time job with my studies as well to meet my expenses, like rent, groceries, and other basic needs.

Moreover, studying abroad is also very helpful for my future because I learned many things at abroad, which I think I'm not able to get that experience in local colleges. They have advanced equipment for practicals as well.

Best os luck for the future.

Kesar Singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three requested points: you identify University Canada West in Vancouver, mention learning about studying and working in Canada, and explain that the experience supported your future studies through practical equipment and experiences unavailable locally. The friendly opening and closing also suit the audience. However, some parts are less fully developed than others. The description of what you learnt about the country focuses mainly on your personal routine—friends and part-time work—rather than giving clear insights into Canadian culture, education, or daily life. The benefit to your studies is also stated generally; explain how the equipment or experience improved a particular skill or understanding. Adding these details would make the response more complete and purposeful.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The ideas are arranged in a generally clear order: you introduce your experience, describe the university, discuss what you learnt, and then explain the academic benefit. Paragraph breaks help distinguish these points, and linking expressions such as “Also” and “Moreover” guide the reader. At times, however, the connections feel mechanical or the reference is unclear. For example, “I noticed that you are also going to same institute” does not clearly explain how this relates to the preceding description, and “Moreover” introduces a point that partly repeats the earlier discussion of learning. Use clearer transitions and organise the letter around the three requested points, with each paragraph developing one main idea.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the main information, including relevant terms such as “university,” “professors,” “part-time job,” “expenses,” and “advanced equipment.” There are also attempts at more descriptive language, such as “valuable time” and “basic needs.” However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, which limits precision: “my experience was struggling and enjoyable” does not express the intended contrast naturally, and “many things at abroad” is awkward. “Good” and “helpful” are also repeated or general where more specific wording would strengthen the letter. Aim to use natural combinations such as “challenging but enjoyable” and “gained valuable experience,” and check spelling in the closing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The letter includes both simple sentences and attempts at longer structures, for example, “I spent some valuable time abroad as well for my studies, so I have some experience to share with you.” Most ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical errors occur in sentence patterns, articles, and prepositions. Examples include “going to same institute,” which needs an article, and “I think I'm not able to get that experience,” where the tense and phrasing do not fit a past experience. The sentence beginning “My experience was struggling” also has an unclear grammatical construction. Review articles and prepositions, and use past forms consistently when describing your year abroad. More accurate complex sentences would improve control and clarity.

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