Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-17

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 6.5)

Dear Lexi,

How's it going? I hope you're doing well. I'm glad that you've decided to study abroad as part of your university course. I'll tell you about my experience of studying in a foreign country.

As you may know, I graduated in business management. I got an opportunity to go to Canada for a year. It was basically a one-year University course to get hands-on experience. I did it at Algoma University.

It was an amazing experience, as I got a chance to meet businessmen from other nations. I didn't just study, but explored the country. The thing that I love the most about this country is its beauty and law & order.

This year was extremely useful for me, since I worked part-time in a multinational company. It was beneficial for managing my expenses as well as improving my business skills.

I would particularly recommend Algoma University to you for your studies. Don't hesitate to ask for any help in future.

Best regards,

Simmi

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The letter addresses all three points and maintains an appropriate, friendly tone for Lexi. You identify Algoma University in Canada, mention the country’s beauty and law and order, and explain that part-time work helped you manage expenses and develop business skills. These details make the response relevant, but the country-learning point is less fully developed than the others: “beauty and law & order” gives a brief impression rather than explaining what you learned about Canadian culture, people, or daily life. The study benefit could also be linked more explicitly to your university studies, rather than mainly to work experience. The recommendation and offer of help are suitable additions. More specific examples and fuller links to the task would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter is organised clearly, with an opening, separate paragraphs for your destination, experience, and study benefits, followed by a suitable closing. The progression is easy to follow, and phrases such as “As you may know,” “This year,” and “since” help connect ideas. The paragraphing is appropriate for an informal letter, and the reader can readily identify the response to each prompt. Some links between ideas are quite basic, however, and the paragraph about the country moves quickly from meeting businesspeople to its beauty and law and order without explaining the relationship. A more developed transition and clearer links between your experience and what you learned would make the progression feel more flexible and cohesive.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a personal letter, including “hands-on experience,” “multinational company,” and “business skills.” These expressions communicate the main points clearly, and the friendly wording suits the reader. However, some choices are broad or slightly unnatural, which limits precision: “businessmen from other nations” could be expressed more inclusively and naturally, while “the thing that I love the most about this country” is wordy and focuses on preference rather than learning. “Law & order” is understandable but does not explain the insight you gained. Aim for more precise language about cultural or academic learning, and use collocations that directly describe the benefit to your studies. The current vocabulary is functional, though not consistently flexible or precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response includes a mix of simple and more developed sentence forms, and most sentences communicate their meaning without difficulty. For example, “This year was extremely useful for me, since I worked part-time in a multinational company” uses a subordinate clause effectively, while the opening questions and closing sentences are controlled. Some grammatical and punctuation choices need attention. In “It was basically a one-year University course,” the capitalisation of “University” is unnecessary unless it forms part of a proper name. The sentence “It was beneficial for managing my expenses as well as improving my business skills” has an unclear reference for “It”; naming the year abroad or the work experience would improve grammatical clarity. Greater variety in complex structures and more precise referencing would strengthen control.

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