Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear Davy,

Hope you're in radiant health and high spirits. I'm glad to know that you're selected for you're further studies at The University of Toronto, Canada.

Toronto is a most exorbitant and vibrant city in Ontario and the accommodation is not affordable for a person who has limited budge so I would like to suggest to live in North York, which is quite near and comes under budget of students. This was the area where I used to live and go to the university by train.

While there are several ways to get the information about renting a place, I consider face-book market place is the best online platform, where you can have a look on the brief details, pictures, price of place and who is renting it. Since it is providing true information about homes so you search on it.

Students often rush to move on new places despite checking is it a close to public transport, superstore, and work because these facilities provide convenience and save time.

I hope this information works for you. Best of luck for a new chapter!

Yours lovingly,

Harjit

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the task. You described your past living situation in North York, recommended Facebook Marketplace as a platform for searching, and provided a warning regarding the importance of proximity to amenities. The tone is appropriate for an email to a friend. However, the development of your ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the warning about choosing accommodation could be more detailed to fully explain the consequences of poor location choices. Overall, you have fulfilled the requirements of the task effectively, maintaining a clear and relevant focus throughout the response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The email is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on one of the required bullet points, which helps the reader follow your advice easily. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'While there are' and 'Since it is', to link your thoughts. However, the use of cohesive devices is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions could be smoother. For example, the connection between the introduction and the first body paragraph is slightly abrupt. Nevertheless, the paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure supports the message well.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'exorbitant', 'vibrant', and 'convenience'. There are some instances of awkward word choice or minor errors, such as 'limited budge' (should be 'budget') and 'move on new places' (should be 'move into new places'). Additionally, 'face-book market place' should be written as 'Facebook Marketplace'. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise control over collocations and spelling to reach a higher band. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical slips, such as 'you're selected' (should be 'you've been selected'), 'you're further studies' (should be 'your further studies'), and 'is it a close to' (should be 'whether it is close to'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding your advice. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of possessive adjectives. The sentence variety is decent, but more consistent accuracy in basic grammar would strengthen your writing significantly.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.