Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-05

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 7.0)

Dear Sam,

Congratulations first of all! I'm so excited and thrilled to hear the news of you getting a placement in Fine Arts at McGill University, the same campus where I studied. I'm genuinely happy that you thought of me and asked my advice in terms of finding your accommodation.

When I was a student, I lived in the shared apartment with three-bedrooms and one common hall accompanied by two other roommates. This place was quite cheap and affordable during my time and had all the facilities available to ease my daily routine including kitchen appliances.

I would suggest you first to get in touch with the housing department of our university and register your name in their sheet. Another great option would be to join in the local Facebook groups; where many posts are added on daily basis. This would allow you to create a social network and make new friends.

Many students fail and make mistakes when it comes to choosing the right accommodation and I must alert you in advance. This includes signing a lease agreement without reading the terms and conditions and most importantly, agreeing to the contract before visiting the actual location. If you are in the same situation, ask them for a virtual tour if you can't attend the place.

All the best,

Sahil.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response fully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly described your past living situation, provided two practical recommendations for finding accommodation, and gave sound advice regarding common mistakes. The tone is appropriate for an email to a friend, maintaining a friendly and helpful persona throughout. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the email is clear from the beginning. You have successfully covered all parts of the task with sufficient detail, meeting the requirements for a high band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The email is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each requirement, and a closing. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate distinct ideas. You use a range of cohesive devices such as 'another great option', 'this includes', and 'in terms of' to link your ideas smoothly. The progression of information is logical, moving from personal experience to actionable advice and then to warnings. The flow is natural, and the relationship between sentences is clear throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for the context, such as 'placement', 'accommodation', 'facilities', and 'terms and conditions'. There is a natural use of collocations like 'get in touch' and 'lease agreement'. While the vocabulary is generally accurate and fits the tone well, there are minor areas for improvement in precision, such as 'get the news of you getting a placement' which could be more concisely phrased. Overall, the lexical range is sufficient to convey your message with clarity and a touch of sophistication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a variety of sentence structures, including complex sentences with relative clauses ('the same campus where I studied') and conditional structures ('if you can't attend the place'). Most of your sentences are error-free. There are a few minor slips, such as 'lived in the shared apartment' (should be 'a shared apartment') and 'join in the local Facebook groups' (the 'in' is unnecessary). However, these errors are infrequent and do not impede communication. Your control over punctuation and tense usage is generally strong.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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