Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-12

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 John,

I hope you are in the pink of health. I was delighted to receive your letter and the news that you got admission in the same university where I studied. I am writing to give advice on the accommodation. At that time I lived in a private room near the university. It was a bit expensive but was worth it.

The best way to look for an accommodation is the marketplace on social media platforms. Most of the owners post the listings on the marketplace. You can easily find it and contact them to arrange the visit. Moreover at my time, there was a university accommodation group on the social media, and as per my knowledge it will still be active, that also help you in finding the place.

However, most of the students make mistake in selecting right place. The most common reason is the money. They find the least expensive room but far away from the university which will impact them later on such as the non productive commute time and transportation cost.

I hope you will consider my advice before book any accommodation.

Best Wishes,

Mike.

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 common mistakes. The tone is appropriate for an email to a friend, and the purpose of the letter is clear throughout. The ideas are well-developed, particularly the warning regarding the trade-off between rent costs and commuting time. To reach a higher band, ensure that all advice is fully elaborated with slightly more specific detail, but overall, the task requirements are fully met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The email is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each point, and a closing. You use cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'However', and 'The most common reason' to link your ideas effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different requirements of the task. The progression of ideas is smooth, and the reader can easily follow your advice. To improve, you could vary your linking words further to avoid a slightly mechanical feel in the transition between the second and third paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for a semi-formal or informal email. Phrases like 'in the pink of health' and 'non-productive commute time' show an attempt to use more sophisticated language. There are some minor issues with collocation, such as 'got admission in' (should be 'got admission to') and 'at my time' (should be 'in my day' or 'when I was there'). However, these errors do not impede communication. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your message clearly and effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While there are some grammatical slips, such as 'before book any accommodation' (should be 'before booking') and 'that also help you' (should be 'that will also help you'), the meaning remains clear throughout. Your control of punctuation is generally good. To move to a higher band, focus on ensuring consistent verb tense usage and correct gerund/infinitive forms after prepositions. The majority of your sentences are error-free, which supports a solid score in this criterion.

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

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