Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 Sara,

I am writing in response to your letter which I received, and you asked about my experience of studying in University of Toronto. It is an amazing university, and the faculty of this university is fantastic as they assist in every task. There are various facilities with in the campus, such as gymnasium, basketball court and a large football ground.

Canada is a great country to study and work. Canada's people are friendly and helpful, and there is a lively atmosphere in Downtown area, where the university is located. Canada offers fabulous opportunities for young people who want to work in accounting and IT sectors, which would resonate with you.

Studying in Canada has broaden my horizons, and it has also helped in my personality development. I was preety introvert when I came to this country, but after living here for a year, I can say that I am no longer a reserved person.

Let me know if you need any further assistance from me.

Kind regards,

Janish Wadhwa

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address the three requested points: you identify the University of Toronto, describe Canadians as friendly and mention opportunities in Canada, and explain that the experience helped your confidence. However, the account of what you learnt about the country is quite general, and the discussion of how the year helped your university studies is less fully addressed. The facilities and career opportunities are relevant background, but they do not clearly explain academic benefits such as gaining subject knowledge, improving research skills, or seeing your field from another perspective. The letter is appropriately addressed and signed, and its purpose is clear. To strengthen the response, develop each point with specific examples, especially the connection between studying abroad and your course.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a clear overall arrangement: it introduces the experience, describes Canada, explains a personal benefit, and closes politely. Paragraphing helps the reader follow these topics, and linking phrases such as “and” and “but” make relationships between ideas understandable. Some connections are less smooth or precise, however. The opening sentence combines the reason for writing with the university detail in a slightly awkward way, while the move from describing campus facilities to the country’s work opportunities is abrupt. The final paragraph focuses on personality development rather than linking back to the stated benefit for your studies. Use clearer transitions and organise the body around the three requested points to create more consistent progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a personal letter, including phrases such as “lively atmosphere,” “fabulous opportunities,” and “broaden my horizons.” These choices help convey enthusiasm and personal change. There are also some inaccurate or unnatural expressions: “resonate with you” does not clearly mean that the opportunities would suit Sara, and “facilities with in the campus” is not a natural collocation. “Preety” is misspelled, and “personality development” sounds less natural in this context than a phrase describing increased confidence. These issues do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, but they limit precision. Aim for natural, specific wording and check spelling and collocations before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including a relative clause in “opportunities …, which would resonate with you” and a contrast with “but after living here for a year.” Most of the message remains easy to understand, although some grammatical errors are present. In the opening, “you asked about my experience of studying in University of Toronto” needs an article and a more suitable preposition: “studying at the University of Toronto.” The phrase “Studying in Canada has broaden my horizons” has an incorrect verb form; use “has broadened.” There is also a tense inconsistency in “when I came to this country” followed by “after living here,” given that the letter describes a completed year abroad. Review articles, verb forms, and tense consistency.

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