Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 Kate,

How are you? i recently received your letter asking about my study abroad experience as you are too planning to study abroad for a year as a part of your university course curriculam.Talking about my experience, studying abroad was one of the best decisions i ever made.

Firstly, i went to pursue my graduation at University of Toronto in Masters of Computer Science.It was an extensive learning course with a great mix of theoritical and pratical skills.

Secondly. as a part of couse curriculam there was an elective course dedicated to the country you studied in teaching the history of the country.Apart from that, i made some good freinds in Canada with whom i explored various provinces, we went for trekking, enjoyed the local food and culture.I saw that how fast paced the life is in the main cities is, also i was awe struck by the beautiful skyscrappers surrounding the city.

Moreover, not only studying abroad increases my practical knowledge and concepts of the domain i am currently working in, it also gave me great industrial exposure with a chance to intern with leading software organisations.

Take care,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address all three points: you identify the University of Toronto, describe learning about Canadian history and experiencing local food, culture and city life, and explain the academic and career benefits of the year. The account is relevant and the positive personal tone suits a letter to someone you know. The study benefits are the clearest part, especially the reference to practical knowledge and an internship. However, the country-learning point is less fully developed: the elective is mentioned, but you do not give a specific historical or cultural insight you gained. The opening also says you pursued a master's degree, which may leave unclear how this fitted into a year abroad as part of your course. Add a concrete example and clarify the study arrangement to develop the response more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a recognisable structure, moving from the greeting and introduction to your studies, experiences in Canada, and the benefits for your education. Paragraphing helps separate these topics, and expressions such as “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “Moreover” make the sequence easy to follow. However, the repeated numbered transitions make the progression somewhat mechanical, and “Secondly” is followed by several different ideas that would be clearer if separated or linked more precisely. The long sentence beginning “Apart from that” combines making friends, travelling, food and culture, and city life, so the relationships between details are not always clear. Use more natural links and organise the country-learning details together before explaining the academic benefits.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “elective course,” “practical knowledge,” “industrial exposure,” and “leading software organisations.” These choices communicate your academic and personal experiences, and phrases such as “fast paced” and “awe struck” show attempts to use more descriptive language. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, however, such as “pursue my graduation,” “a great mix of theoretical and practical skills,” and “industrial exposure.” There are also spelling errors, including “curriculam,” “theoritical,” “pratical,” “freinds,” and “skyscrappers,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for more natural combinations such as “complete my degree,” “a balance of theory and practice,” and “industry experience,” and proofread spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex structures, including the contrastive construction “not only … it also …” and a relative clause in “friends in Canada with whom I explored various provinces.” The main message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “i recently received” and “decisions i ever made” need capitalisation, while “as you are too planning” has an incorrect word order. In “I saw that how fast paced the life is in the main cities is,” the clause structure is faulty; a clearer version is “I saw how fast-paced life is in the main cities.” The final “not only” sentence also needs parallel structure and consistent tense. Review clause formation, word order, and tense consistency.

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