Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-08

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 Nazira.

I am glad to know that you have been offered a place at Dhaka University. It's a fantastic place for studies, friends and exposure. When I was a student there, I used to live at my aunt's house or rent, which is very near the university. She usually rents her house to university students.

I would suggest you stay at my aunt's place if you would like. I can talk to her on your behalf. A lot of university students like to rent there. She has the best food. If you're looking for something else, I recommend contacting the student council at the university. They will surely be able to help you find accommodation. Alternative, you can try searching on Facebook Marketplace, as many options are available there.

Please make sure to visit the house before renting it to check the location and the condition of the house, as some people upload fake images of the house, and sometimes the location is not suitable for students.

I am sure you will have a great time at university.

All the best,

Humaira.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You described your past living situation, provided a clear recommendation for finding accommodation, and offered a relevant warning about potential pitfalls. The tone is appropriate for an email to a friend, and the purpose is clear throughout. To reach a higher band, you could expand slightly on the 'warning' section by providing a more specific example of a 'fake image' scenario or explaining the consequences of choosing a poor location, which would further develop your ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The email is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a specific requirement of the task. You use transition words such as 'If you're looking for something else' and 'Alternative' (though this should be 'Alternatively') to guide the reader. The paragraphing is appropriate for an informal email. To improve, ensure that cohesive devices are used with greater precision; for example, 'Alternative' is an adjective, whereas 'Alternatively' is the correct adverbial connector needed here.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'on your behalf', 'accommodation', and 'exposure' effectively. The language is natural and fits the context of a friendly email. There are no significant spelling or word-choice errors that impede communication. To move into the higher bands, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations or idiomatic expressions, such as 'keep an eye out for' or 'steer clear of', to add more variety to your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as conditional sentences ('If you're looking for...', 'If you would like...'). Most of your sentences are error-free and easy to follow. There is a minor grammatical slip with 'Alternative, you can try...', which should be 'Alternatively'. Additionally, 'I used to live at my aunt's house or rent' is slightly awkward; 'I used to live at my aunt's house or in a rented room' would be more precise. Overall, your control of grammar is good and does not hinder understanding.

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

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