Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-04
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 Princy,
I hope you are doing well. It's been a long time to see you. How have you been? I am writing this letter to give you some suggestions regarding the place where I used to live during my study time.
To begin with , I was living in the downtown when I was a student. However, It was quite chaotic place for me as all the university students are living over there. Moreover, if you are searching for accommodation make sure to look for nice and quite place where you can study. I would like to give you suggestion to look for accommodation which is near to the university. So , if you are looking for private room then queen street is the best location for it. I hope it would be great help for you. let's make a plan to meet next month. If you have any concerns let me know I would be happy to help you.
Bye , Take care .
Lot's of love,
Riddhi
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response addresses all three bullet points: describing your past accommodation, recommending a search method, and warning about common mistakes. However, the development of these points is quite limited. For instance, the warning about mistakes is vague; you mention that the downtown area was 'chaotic' but do not explicitly advise on what specific mistakes to avoid (e.g., signing a contract without viewing, or ignoring hidden costs). To reach a higher band, you should provide more detailed explanations and specific advice for your friend. The tone is appropriate for an informal email to a friend, and the purpose of the letter is clear throughout.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The email is organized into logical sections, starting with an opening, moving through the required points, and concluding with a sign-off. You use some basic cohesive devices like 'To begin with', 'Moreover', and 'However'. However, the paragraphing is insufficient; the entire body of the email is contained in one large paragraph, which makes it harder to follow. Using separate paragraphs for each bullet point would significantly improve the structure and flow. Additionally, some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive, and the connection between sentences could be smoother to improve the overall progression of ideas.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely on simple, repetitive phrases such as 'look for accommodation' and 'nice and quite place'. There are also some minor errors, such as 'quite' instead of 'quiet' and 'It's been a long time to see you' (which should be 'since I saw you'). While the meaning is always clear, the range of vocabulary is limited to common, everyday words. To improve, try to incorporate more descriptive adjectives and specific collocations related to housing and university life.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'I was living in the downtown' (should be 'downtown' or 'the city centre'), 'all the university students are living' (should be 'lived' or 'were living'), and 'it would be great help' (should be 'a great help'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing around commas and periods. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct article usage will help improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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