Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-13

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 Malika,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to provide my experience at the university course that I did recently, in Canada.

To begin with, I studied at the Capital College, in Surrey, British Columbia. I made this decision under the influence of my best friend Sheri. I got enrolled in one year diploma, Association of Arts.

While studying in Canada, I did learn a number of cultural things there. I personally enjoyed learning their Canadian's rituals and major events. Moreover, I learned the routine of Canadian's, their preferences and culture diversity there.

Although I missed my family, I came up with lots of different ideas regarding my field of interest. Due to my interest in civil services exams, living their helped me deepen my knowledge about the international affairs and the relationships of Canada with other countries.

I hope this information help you to get better idea of the experience you was asking about. Enjoy rest of your day!

Kind regards,

Sonia

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The letter addresses all three requested points: you identify Capital College in Surrey, describe aspects of Canadian culture, and explain how the experience related to your interest in civil-service exams and international affairs. The explanation of the study benefit is the clearest, especially the link between living in Canada and learning about its international relationships. The cultural description is less fully developed: “rituals,” “major events,” and “preferences” are mentioned, but no specific example shows what you discovered. The reason for choosing the college is relevant background, though it does not add much to the requested account. To strengthen the response, include one concrete cultural observation and explain more directly how the year supported your university studies.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall arrangement, moving from the study location to cultural learning and then to academic benefits. Paragraph breaks help distinguish these topics, and phrases such as “To begin with,” “Moreover,” and “Although” guide the reader through the ideas. Some linking is mechanical, however, and the sequence within the first paragraph is not always focused: the influence of your friend appears between the location and course details without a clear connection to the main purpose. The final sentence also shifts quickly from the experience to a general closing. Use transitions that show the relationship between ideas, and make references such as “there” and “this information” more specific so the progression feels smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the main points, including topic-related expressions such as “international affairs,” “relationships,” and “field of interest.” There are also attempts at more specific language, but several choices are unnatural or imprecise, which limits clarity: “Canadian’s rituals” and “routine of Canadian’s” use an incorrect possessive form, while “culture diversity” is not the natural expression. “University course that I did” is also an awkward collocation. Aim for accurate, natural phrases rather than adding complexity: for example, describe “Canadian customs and festivals” or “the daily routines and cultural diversity of Canadians.” This would make the account more fluent and precise while retaining your relevant vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response includes a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, such as “Although I missed my family, I came up with lots of different ideas…” and “Due to my interest…, living there helped me…”. The main meaning is generally understandable, but some grammatical errors remain. In “I got enrolled in one year diploma,” the article and construction need correction; “living their helped me” uses the wrong form of the word, and “I hope this information help you” has subject–verb disagreement. The closing phrase “the experience you was asking about” also has an incorrect verb form. Review articles, agreement, and past-tense forms, and proofread each sentence for these patterns. More accurate control would make the varied structures easier to follow.

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