Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-01
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 6.0)
Dear Smith,
I am writing this email to discuss some factors you need to take care of, and I am glad that you are also getting a chance to attend the same university for studies.
Firstly, I would like to inform you that when I started my studies at the University that time, I used to lived to far from the University, when I went there very first time after that I moved from that place to another area which was too good to stay in, even from there to University and my part-time workplace were both near due to that I do not had to struggle.
In addition, I like to advise you that when you start to look for accommodation, try to find near University also; you can you social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, which will provide you with many options.
Finally, I would like to take care of some of the things that most of the pupils make mistakes when they are coming, like not paying first for accommodation; just let them know that when you arrive, then you will pay because there are a lot of fraud's happan with they do not get any kind of address or accommodation after reaching there.
I hope to hear from you soon.
Kind Regards,
John.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response addresses all three bullet points of the task: describing past accommodation, recommending a search method, and warning about potential pitfalls. The tone is appropriate for an informal email to a friend. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the advice on finding accommodation is brief, and the warning about fraud, while relevant, is expressed in a slightly confusing manner. To improve, you should expand on your personal experience to provide more vivid detail and ensure the warning is articulated with greater clarity to fully satisfy the 'well-developed' criteria for higher bands.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The email is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices like 'Firstly', 'In addition', and 'Finally' to signal the progression of your points. However, the flow within sentences is sometimes hindered by awkward phrasing, such as 'due to that I do not had to struggle'. The referencing is occasionally unclear, and the transition between ideas could be smoother. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that sentences connect logically will help elevate your score in this area.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using words like 'accommodation', 'platforms', and 'fraud'. However, there are some noticeable errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'pupils' (which usually refers to school children rather than university students) and 'fraud's happan' (a spelling and grammatical error). The vocabulary is generally functional but lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. To improve, focus on using more natural collocations and ensuring correct spelling of common terms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading. Examples include 'I used to lived to far', 'I do not had to struggle', and 'there are a lot of fraud's happan with they do not get'. These errors involve tense consistency, preposition usage, and sentence construction. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents a higher score. You should focus on mastering basic verb tenses and subject-verb agreement to improve your accuracy.
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