Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-13

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 8.0)

Dear Alex,

I hope you are doing well!

I am delighted to hear that you have been offered a place at the university. I am glad you contacted me for advice about accommodation, and I would be happy to share my experience and offer a few suggestions.

When I was a student, I lived in a shared apartment about 15 minutes away from the university campus. I lived with two other students, which helped me save money and gave me the opportunity to make new friends.

In my opinion, the best way to look for accommodation is to look through the university website or you can visit the Facebook Marketplace which offers a wide range of options to look for in your budget.These sources are reliable and provide detailed information about the rental properties such as rent, facilities etc.

One common mistake many students make is signing the agreement without even seeing the property which can lead to problems such as poor living conditions, noise disturbances or long commuting times, which may affect their studies.

I hope this advice helps. Let me know if you need any further information, and I'd be happy to help.

Best wishes,

Anuj

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly described your past living situation, provided a practical recommendation for finding accommodation, and offered a relevant warning regarding common mistakes. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, and the purpose of the email is clear from the outset. The ideas are well-developed and relevant to the task requirements, demonstrating a good understanding of the prompt's expectations. No parts of the task were omitted, and the information provided is sufficient to be helpful to the recipient.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The email is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, which helps the reader follow your advice easily. You use appropriate cohesive devices such as 'When I was a student', 'In my opinion', and 'One common mistake', which link your ideas effectively. The paragraphing is logical and contributes to the overall clarity of the message. The flow between sentences is smooth, and the use of referencing is accurate throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary that is appropriate for the context of the email. Phrases like 'delighted to hear', 'reliable', and 'noise disturbances' show a solid command of language. While the vocabulary is functional and accurate, there is room to incorporate more sophisticated or idiomatic expressions to reach the highest band. The word choice is consistently natural and precise, and there are no spelling or collocation errors that impede communication. The language used is well-suited to the informal yet informative nature of the task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

Your grammar is generally accurate, and you use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. For example, the use of relative clauses ('which helped me save money') and conditional structures ('which can lead to problems') demonstrates good control. There are very few errors, and those present do not interfere with the reader's understanding. Punctuation is used correctly, and the sentence construction is varied enough to maintain interest. The writing is fluent and demonstrates a high level of grammatical control appropriate for this level.

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

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