Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-09
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
Your friend has been offered a place on a course at the university where you studied. He/She would like your advice about finding a place to live.
Write an email to your friend. In your email
- describe where you lived when you were a student at the university
- recommend the best way for him/her to look for accommodation
- warn him/her of mistakes students make when choosing accommodation
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your email as follows:
Dear ..........,
Student answer (Band 6.5)
Dear Alex,
Congratulations on getting accepted to the university. I am so glad to hear the good news that you got admission in the Data analytics course in the University of Canada. And i am sure you have a fantastic time there.
When I was studying there, I lived in a shared apartment with my classmates which was closest to the University. The apartment was in a very good surrounding with all the basic necessities. The best part it was just a short walk to the campus because of which I can easily attend my lectures and go to the library whenever I want to. It also saves my time and transport cost.
To find the accommodation, the best approach is to enquire to the University office first. Moreover, you can also browse any reliable student housing property or any local platforms like Facebook Marketplace or student bulletin boards.
While searching, try to avoid common mistakes. Choosing a place which was far away from the campus as it waste your time and increase transportation cost. Do not sign a lease without inspection of the apartment regarding extra bills included (like electricity and internet). Do not overcrowd your flat with too many roommates.
If you need any more advice or help regarding your accommodation search, feel free to reach out to me.
Best wishes,
Amreen
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5
The email addresses all three requested points and maintains an appropriate, friendly tone. You describe your shared apartment, its proximity to campus and the practical benefits; you also recommend asking the university office and checking housing platforms. The warnings about distance, lease details and overcrowding are relevant and useful. These ideas are clear, although some advice is stated briefly rather than developed—for example, you could explain what to check during an inspection or how to verify a listing before paying. The description of the apartment is also somewhat general, with “all the basic necessities” not specifying what was available. More specific supporting details would make the advice feel more fully developed and personal.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0
The message is organised in a clear sequence: congratulations, your own housing experience, search advice, cautions and a friendly closing. Paragraphing helps the reader follow these distinct purposes, and linking expressions such as “Moreover” and “While searching” make the progression easy to understand. Some connections are less smooth, however. The sentence beginning “Choosing a place which was far away” is a fragment after the introductory warning, and the repeated “Do not” instructions make the final paragraph read somewhat like a list. You could connect each warning to its consequence in complete sentences and vary the transitions. Overall, the organisation is clear, though cohesion is occasionally mechanical.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a friendly email about student housing, including “shared apartment,” “basic necessities,” “reliable,” “lease” and “overcrowd.” These choices communicate the main points, and the tone is generally suitable. Some word combinations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “good surrounding,” “enquire to the University office,” “student housing property” and “extra bills included.” “Got admission” is also less natural in this context. These do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision and fluency. Aim to learn common housing collocations and choose more exact terms—for example, describe the neighbourhood as “pleasant” and refer to “student accommodation listings” rather than a “student housing property.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
The email includes both simple sentences and attempts at more complex structures, such as “because of which I can easily attend my lectures” and the conditional advice about signing a lease. Meaning remains clear, but some grammatical errors occur. In the apartment description, “it was just a short walk … because of which I can” shifts from past to present; keep the account consistently in the past. “Choosing a place which was far away … as it waste your time and increase transportation cost” is not a complete sentence and also has agreement errors. There are smaller issues with articles and sentence construction, including “in the University of Canada.” Review tense consistency, subject–verb agreement and complete sentence boundaries to improve accuracy while retaining your range.
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