Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-10

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 Ramlal,

I am writing this letter to congratulate and providing information on the accommodation nearby your new University.

I am really happy that you got the admission at Humber University as you deserved it. When I was studying there, I used to live on thirteenth street which was approximately 900 metres from the University. When you go north from the University, you will come across the residential area and on left you will find the beautiful lake.

To find the rental house for yourself, I would suggest you to make an account on the rental mobile applications. Some famous ones are the Facebook marketplace and the Kijiji. Furthermore, there is a convenience store named "Rabba" near the University, where you will find the rental listing board as the owner of the place is Indian and he might help you find the place.

Also, be careful with the online frauds happening for rentals and do not pay the money without checking the place in person. Meanwhile, do not hesitate to contact me if you need more help on it.

Regards,

Maunil

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task effectively. You described your past living situation, provided specific recommendations for finding accommodation, and included a relevant warning about online scams. The tone is appropriate for an email to a friend, and the purpose of the letter is clear from the beginning. To reach a higher band, you could expand slightly more on the 'why' behind your recommendations or provide more descriptive detail about the living experience to fully develop the ideas, but overall, the response is well-focused and meets all requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The email is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each requirement, and a closing. You use cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'Also', and 'Meanwhile' to link your ideas. While the flow is generally good, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. The paragraphing is appropriate for an informal email, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. To improve, ensure that the connection between sentences is more fluid, perhaps by varying the way you introduce new points rather than relying on standard linking words.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'congratulate', 'residential area', and 'rental listing'. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'providing information on' (should be 'to provide information on') and 'rental house' (a bit unnatural; 'rental property' or 'accommodation' is better). The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, but it lacks the more sophisticated or idiomatic expressions that would characterize a higher band score. Focus on using more natural collocations related to housing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'congratulate and providing' (should be 'congratulate you and provide'), 'on thirteenth street' (should be 'on Thirteenth Street'), and 'pay the money' (the article 'the' is unnecessary here). Despite these errors, your meaning is never in doubt, and the grammar does not impede communication. To improve, pay closer attention to parallel structures and the correct use of articles, and try to incorporate a wider variety of complex sentence forms to demonstrate greater control.

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

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