Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-06

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)

Advice about finding accommodation

Dear John,

I hope you are doing well. Congratulations on getting a place at university! I'm really very happy for you. Since you asked me about finding an accommodation, I thought I should share my personal experience with you and give you some useful advice.

When I was studying at the university, I lived in a shared apartment near the campus with two other students. It was really a fun experience and affordable at the same time and also I was able to make friends easily. Although sharing a kitchen and living area was sometimes challenging, but I enjoyed the convenience of being close to my classes and university facilities.

According to me, the best way to find good accommodation is to start searching early. You should check the university's accommodation website and try to join university groups online as some students share important information about available or sharing rooms. It is also a good idea as you can ask current students for recommendations and they can also tell you about the best areas to live.

However, you should be aware about the common mistakes student makes. Many students choose a place just because it is cheap and forget to consider about transportation, safety and other costs like electricity or internet bills. You should also read the rental agreement carefully before signing it.

I hope this advice helps you to find comfortable place to live. I wish you all the best for your studies and let me know if you need help with anything else.

Best wishes,

Alin

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly described your past living situation in a shared apartment, provided a logical recommendation for searching for housing, and offered relevant warnings regarding common pitfalls like ignoring utility costs. The tone is appropriate for an email to a friend, and the purpose of the letter is clear throughout. The ideas are well-developed and relevant, meeting the requirements of the task effectively. To reach a higher band, ensure that your advice is slightly more detailed, perhaps by providing a specific example of a 'hidden cost' or a particular website feature.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The email is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each requirement, and a polite closing. You use a variety of cohesive devices such as 'Although', 'However', and 'In addition' to link your ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different topics. The progression of ideas is smooth and easy to follow. To improve, ensure that your referencing is always precise; for example, in the second paragraph, the use of 'but' after 'Although' is redundant, which slightly affects the flow. Overall, the structure is coherent and supports the message well.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for the task, such as 'convenience', 'challenging', 'rental agreement', and 'facilities'. The language is natural and fits the context of an informal email. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'finding an accommodation' (accommodation is uncountable) and 'According to me' (the idiomatic expression is 'In my opinion'). Despite these small errors, your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly and with some flexibility. Expanding your use of collocations would help elevate your score further.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the conditional 'if you need help' and the concessive clause 'Although sharing a kitchen... was challenging'. While there are some grammatical slips, such as 'student makes' (should be plural 'students make') and the redundant 'but' in the second paragraph, these errors do not impede communication. Your control over punctuation and sentence boundaries is generally good. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and avoiding redundant conjunctions to ensure your complex sentences are perfectly accurate.

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

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