Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-16
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 5.0)
DEAR FRIEND , I hope you are good.I hope your family are all good.I want to talk to you about a place where,i studied in my University time. I suggest you to study in Gift University Gujranwala main campus near Punjab group of College and University.GIft Universty has been offered a great scholarships and many other discounts in your books,admission and semester fees.When we all of us study in this university we make good male and female class friends,whose help us to study and making notes or assignment for classes works.I also make some funny and crazy friends, They help me to educe my boredom.relation with teachers are good for all of us teacher guide them properly and help to make notes and clearing the concept.but we are afraid of bad boys beacuse they are involved in illegal activities likes drugs and carry weapons. I advice you to study in Gift University. I also want to help you in your studies and want to see you sucess full in your life. I hope you would understand my advice . Thank you
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response fails to address the core requirements of the prompt. While you mention the university, you do not describe where you lived as a student, nor do you provide a recommendation on how to look for accommodation. Instead, the content focuses on university scholarships, social life, and safety concerns, which are largely irrelevant to the specific task of advising a friend on housing. To improve, you must carefully read the bullet points and ensure each one is answered directly. The task asks for advice on finding a place to live, but this information is entirely missing from your response.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The email lacks a clear structure and logical progression. It is written as a single block of text rather than using paragraphs to separate the different points required by the task. Cohesive devices are largely absent, making the transition between ideas abrupt and difficult to follow. For example, the shift from discussing scholarships to social life and then to safety concerns is disjointed. To achieve a higher score, you should use clear paragraphing for each bullet point and employ linking words such as 'furthermore', 'however', or 'consequently' to connect your ideas more fluidly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive, often relying on basic phrasing. There are several instances of awkward word choice, such as 'educe my boredom' (likely meant 'reduce') and 'make good male and female class friends'. The use of 'bad boys' is also informal and imprecise for an email of this nature. While the meaning is generally understandable, the range of vocabulary is insufficient to express complex ideas or provide detailed advice. Expanding your range of descriptive adjectives and learning common collocations related to housing would significantly improve your writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('your family are all good'), incorrect verb tenses ('has been offered a great scholarships'), and punctuation errors, such as missing spaces after commas and periods. The sentence structures are mostly simple, with very few attempts at complex sentences. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, ensuring correct verb forms, and paying closer attention to punctuation. Proofreading your work for these basic errors before submitting would be a very effective strategy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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