Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-07-29

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 Adam,

Hope you are doing well. I have read your email about joining Centennial University for pursuing your masters in modern science program. Congratulations and welcome to Canada. As you are looking for an accommodation near by college premises, I'd rather suggest you to live in a Condo or town house than campus hostel.

One of the main reason, I recommend a town house is because, it is budget-friendly when you share it with a fellow student in your campus and we have plenty of vacant apartments available near the college, you can check them online. This also has an added advantage that you can cook your own food at your convenient time as you might also need to work part-time to support your college fees, the same might not be feasible if you live in a hostel.

I also would like to highlight few of my mistakes from my experiences with apartment search so that you can avoid making them. Do not find a rental with real estate brokers, as they would charge you more on the rent and will not allow you to negotiate much. There are many units that are posted on the website directly by owner, prefer them first. Also, beware of fake realtors who ask to pay money in advance for showing, as it is not legal in Canada.

I hope you find this information helpful and start your quest for a new apartment or townhouse. I wish you good luck and hope to meet you soon.

Bye.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response addresses all three bullet points effectively. You clearly described your own experience, provided a solid recommendation for finding accommodation, and gave useful warnings regarding rental scams and brokers. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, maintaining a consistent, helpful persona throughout. The ideas are well-developed and relevant to the prompt. To reach a higher band, ensure that the description of your own past living situation is slightly more detailed, as it currently focuses more on the recommendation than on your personal history at the university. Overall, the task is fully accomplished.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The email is logically organized with clear paragraphing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, which helps the reader follow your advice easily. You use some cohesive devices such as 'One of the main reason,' 'This also has an added advantage,' and 'I also would like to highlight.' While the flow is generally good, some transitions are slightly mechanical. To improve, try to vary your linking phrases and ensure that referencing (e.g., 'the same') is always precise to avoid any ambiguity. The structure is clear and supports the overall message effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your ideas clearly. Phrases like 'budget-friendly,' 'feasible,' and 'start your quest' are used appropriately. There are some minor collocation issues, such as 'near by college premises' (should be 'near the college premises') and 'One of the main reason' (should be 'reasons'). While you use some less common vocabulary, there is room to incorporate more sophisticated collocations to move into the higher bands. The vocabulary is generally accurate and fits the context of an informal email well.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'I'd rather suggest you to live' (should be 'I would suggest that you live') and 'few of my mistakes' (should be 'a few of my mistakes'). Punctuation is generally handled well, though there are occasional errors with comma usage. The majority of your sentences are clear and error-free, and the minor errors do not impede communication. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles.

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