Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-07-28

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 7.5)

Dear Smith,

Hope you're doing well. I'm writing this letter to advice you regarding the accommodation to live during your study at the university.

During my course, I stayed with my cousin in the shared room in the rented house of three bedrooms which was just Stone's throw away from the university.

As per my suggestion, the best platform to search suitable place to live is on The Rental Marketplace, since there is only the legally verified listers can list their properties. It is not only offer the wide range of rentals but also ensure security and privacy for the users data.

On contrast, since the websites run by third parties lead the chance of scams and involve a lots of extra charges, I recommend you to explore neither any third party website nor an application related to it. Additionally, you should select your rental near the university and bus stops to save time.

I hope you will find best place as per your preference. Feel free to call or text me for any assist you required.

Yours Sincerely,

Manju

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response successfully addresses all three bullet points of the task. You clearly described your former living situation, recommended a specific platform, and provided a warning regarding third-party websites. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, and the purpose of the email is clear from the beginning. To improve, you could expand slightly on the 'why' behind your recommendations to provide more depth, but overall, the task requirements are fully met with a clear and consistent tone throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The email is logically organized with clear paragraphing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific requirement of the prompt. You use some cohesive devices such as 'As per my suggestion', 'On contrast', and 'Additionally' to link your ideas. However, 'On contrast' is slightly unnatural; 'In contrast' or 'Conversely' would be better. The progression of ideas is easy to follow, and the use of paragraph breaks helps the reader navigate the different pieces of advice provided. The overall structure is coherent and effective.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. Phrases like 'Stone's throw away' and 'legally verified listers' are good attempts at more natural, idiomatic language. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'advice you' (should be 'advise') and 'the legally verified listers' (the 'the' is unnecessary). Despite these minor slips, the vocabulary is adequate for the task and allows for precise communication of your ideas without causing confusion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While there are some grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'It is not only offer' (should be 'It not only offers') and 'a lots of extra charges' (should be 'a lot of' or 'lots of'), these errors do not impede communication. Your control of punctuation is generally good, and the sentence variety is sufficient for this type of task. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage will help you move into a higher band.

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