Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-19

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 Manisha,

Hope this letter finds you in radiant health and high spirits. I am really glad after hearing that you are going to study in the same university where I completed my education.

The initial struggle after enrolling in the university is the accommodation. I hired a cozy and peaceful room for two years at a reasonable cost, which has a attached washroom and has kitchen facility. As l am a fitness freak and love to cook healthy food for me. This room was situated on walking distance from the university. But , in recent scenario, it is really hard to find a good place to live for a student.

Now, there are many websites are online available ,where landlords describe all the amenities including food and monthly rent. I will share the links to you. This would be the best way to find a room according to your budget.

However, you should be aware about some frauds on the websites by uploading false pictures of the room and surroundings. It will help you to choose location of the room by knowing distance from the university. I advice that you must visit the room before payment.

Hoping for the best in your new journey of education.

See you soon.

Yours lovingly,

Navpreet.

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, recommended websites as a search method, and provided a warning about potential online fraud. The tone is appropriate for an email to a friend, and the purpose of the letter is clear throughout. To improve, you could expand slightly more on the 'why' behind your recommendations or warnings to provide a more fully developed response, which would help move your score into the higher bands. Overall, the task requirements are fully met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The email is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. You use some cohesive devices such as 'However' and 'Now', which help the flow of ideas. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and the paragraphing could be improved for better thematic grouping. For example, the second paragraph mixes the description of your old room with a general comment about the current housing market. Separating these into distinct points would enhance the logical progression of your argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using phrases like 'radiant health', 'fitness freak', and 'amenities'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'I hired a room' (usually 'rented') and 'in recent scenario' (which is not a natural collocation; 'currently' or 'in the current market' would be better). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'a attached washroom' (should be 'an'), 'there are many websites are online available' (redundant 'are'), and 'I advice' (should be the verb 'advise'). Additionally, there are some punctuation issues, such as the space before the comma in 'But ,'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage will help improve your accuracy.

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

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