Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-17
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 4.5)
Dear Ahmad , How are you doing today i wanted to tell you about the best places and its Specifications , First the best way to study is be in a place calm and silent so you can focus so the place should be in a calm neighborhood , second you will need a place that near a park or anything like mall because you can go out for a walk in your between study break because even if u take break but on something else like you have no place to walk in that will make you weaker or studying and it will lose your focus so its important to go for a walk everyday for your body and your mind and finally number three you need to be next your friends family because walking alone will not be enough even also walking is important but family and friends you can talk play or anything with them or go outside for a walk or go to a mall , Now the best place to be in has to be with these specifications .
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.0 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response fails to address the core requirements of the prompt. While you mention the need for a calm neighborhood, you do not describe where you lived when you were a student, which was a specific instruction. Furthermore, you do not provide a clear recommendation on the best way to look for accommodation (e.g., university websites, local agencies, or student forums). Finally, you do not warn the friend about common mistakes students make when choosing housing. The content is repetitive and focuses more on general advice about studying and walking rather than answering the specific bullet points provided in the task instructions.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0
The email lacks a clear structure and paragraphing. It is written as one long, run-on sentence, which makes it difficult to follow the progression of ideas. There is a lack of appropriate cohesive devices to link sentences or ideas logically. The transition between points is weak, and the overall organization is confusing, as the text jumps between topics without clear signposting. To improve, you should use separate paragraphs for each bullet point and use linking words such as 'firstly', 'in addition', and 'however' to guide the reader through your response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is quite basic and repetitive, relying on simple words like 'place', 'walk', and 'study'. There is little evidence of the range required for higher bands. Some word choices are imprecise, such as 'its Specifications' or 'make you weaker or studying', which hinders clarity. You need to expand your vocabulary to include more specific terms related to housing and student life, such as 'accommodation', 'proximity', 'amenities', or 'landlord'. The current range is sufficient only for basic communication and does not demonstrate the flexibility needed for a higher score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors, particularly regarding sentence structure and punctuation. The entire text is essentially one long run-on sentence, lacking full stops and proper capitalization. There are also errors in subject-verb agreement and preposition usage, such as 'be in a place calm' instead of 'be in a calm place' and 'next your friends' instead of 'next to your friends'. The lack of complex sentence structures and the persistent punctuation errors significantly impact the readability of the email. Focusing on basic sentence construction and using periods to separate ideas is essential.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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