Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-07-31

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 8.0)

Dear Priya,

I am so happy to hear that you have been accepted to the university. Congratulations.

When I was studying there I lived in a shared apartment about a 10 minute walk from the campus. It was cofortable, fully furnished, and I shared it with two other students. It was a great experience because we helped each other with our studies and daily works.

I recommend that you start looking for accommodation through the university housing office or the official student Facebook groups. These are reliable and usually have many options that suit different budgets. You should also begin your search as early as possible because good places are taken quickly.

One mistake many students make is choosing accommodation only because it is cheap. They often forget to check the location.

transport facilities, and safety of the area. Also, never pay a deposit before visiting the place or confirming that the landlord is genuine.

I hope you find a comfortable place soon. Let me know if you need any more help.

best wishes

summan

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You described your past living situation, provided clear recommendations for finding accommodation, and offered relevant warnings regarding common mistakes. The tone is appropriate for an email to a friend, and the information is well-developed and relevant. The response is clear and easy to follow, meeting all the requirements of the task effectively. There are no omissions, and the ideas are presented in a logical and helpful manner, which fully satisfies the criteria for this task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The email is well-organized with a clear structure. Each paragraph focuses on a specific part of the prompt, which helps the reader follow your ideas easily. You use appropriate paragraphing and basic cohesive devices such as 'When I was studying', 'I recommend that', and 'Also'. While the transition between the list of mistakes and the warning about the deposit is slightly abrupt due to the punctuation error, the overall flow remains logical. The progression of ideas is smooth, and the email is coherent throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary suitable for this informal task. Phrases like 'fully furnished', 'reliable', and 'genuine' are used accurately. There is a minor spelling error ('cofortable'), but this does not impede communication. You use a variety of words to express your ideas clearly. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate more sophisticated collocations or idiomatic expressions that are natural in an informal email context, such as 'keep an eye out for' or 'steer clear of'. Overall, your lexical range is sufficient and effective.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most of your sentences are error-free, and your control over tense usage is good, particularly when reflecting on your past experience. There is a minor punctuation error where a sentence is fragmented ('transport facilities, and safety of the area'), which should have been connected to the previous sentence. However, these errors are infrequent and do not cause any confusion for the reader. Your grammar is generally accurate and supports the clarity of your message.

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