Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-07-30

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 Ella,

Congratulations on being accepted to the university! I'm really happy for you. Since you asked about accommodation, I'd like to share my experience.

When I was a student there, I lived in a shared apartment about ten minutes from the campus. I had my own room but shared the kitchen and living area with three other students. It was affordable, comfortable, and a great way to make friends.

I suggest that you start your search through the university's accommodation office or its official student housing website. These are reliable sources, and you can also join student groups online to find suitable rooms.

One mistake many students make is choosing the cheapest place without considering its location. Others sign contracts before visiting the property or checking what is included in the rent. Make sure you read the agreement carefully before making a decision.

Best wishes,

Semi

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all three bullet points: describing your previous accommodation, recommending search methods, and warning about common mistakes. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend. However, the response is 147 words long, which falls just short of the 150-word minimum requirement. This under-length negatively impacts the task achievement score, as the instructions were not fully met. To improve, ensure you expand slightly on your personal experience or provide more detailed advice to comfortably exceed the word count threshold.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The email is well-structured with clear paragraphing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific requirement of the prompt, which helps the reader follow your ideas easily. You use logical transitions such as 'Since you asked' and 'One mistake many students make' to connect your thoughts. The flow is natural and appropriate for an informal email. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate a wider variety of cohesive devices to link sentences more fluidly, though the current level of organization is already quite effective.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary suitable for this task, such as 'affordable', 'reliable sources', and 'property'. The language is natural and fits the context of giving advice to a friend. There are no significant errors in word choice or spelling. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more precise or sophisticated collocations. For example, instead of 'make friends', you could use 'build a social network', or instead of 'cheapest place', you could use 'most budget-friendly option'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

Your grammar is accurate, and you use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. For instance, the sentence 'One mistake many students make is choosing the cheapest place without considering its location' is grammatically sound and complex. There are no noticeable errors in punctuation or tense usage. The writing is clear and easy to follow. To improve further, try to vary your sentence beginnings and use a broader range of complex structures, such as conditional sentences or passive voice, where appropriate.

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