Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)
Dear Deepanshu,
It's so great to hear that you have been offered a place at York University! I know the campus and surrounding area pretty well, and I will be happy to help you with finding a place to live.
When I studied at York, I used to live in the York Village, also as know as student housings. It was just a 10 minutes walk to the main campus. It saved me a considerable amount of commuting time and made my daily routine quite convenient.
I would recommend you joining different groups on social media, such as Facebook or WhatsApp, as it's the best way to find an accommodation. You can easily find many rental option with great deals. Additionally, if you want to share an apartment with someone in order to save on rental cost, chat groups would be a great option for you to find a potential flatmate.
One thing I would like to add is making sure that the landlord provides a rental agreement. Many students make mistakes by having only verbal agreement, which in future can lead to serious consequences as they are not legally protected.
Please let me know if you require more information, I will gladly help you.
Kind regards,
Elena
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 8.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 8.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.0 |
| Overall | 7.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0
The response fully addresses all three bullet points of the task. You clearly described your past living situation at York Village, provided a practical recommendation regarding social media groups, and offered a relevant warning about the importance of written rental agreements. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, and the purpose of the email is clear from the beginning. The ideas are well-developed and provide sufficient detail to satisfy the requirements of the task. You have maintained a consistent and helpful tone throughout the letter.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0
The email is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each point, and a polite closing. Each paragraph focuses on a single idea, which makes the text easy to follow. You have used cohesive devices such as 'Additionally', 'One thing I would like to add', and 'as' to link your ideas effectively. The progression of information is smooth, and the paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different aspects of your advice. The overall structure is coherent and professional.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.0
You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your ideas clearly. Phrases like 'surrounding area', 'commuting time', 'daily routine', and 'legally protected' are well-chosen and appropriate for the context. There are a few minor errors, such as 'also as know as' (should be 'also known as') and 'rental option' (should be 'rental options'), but these do not impede communication. You have demonstrated a good ability to use topic-specific vocabulary related to housing and university life.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0
You demonstrate a good control of grammar with a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most of your sentences are error-free and clear. There are some minor grammatical slips, such as 'I would recommend you joining' (should be 'I would recommend joining' or 'I would recommend that you join') and 'in future' (should be 'in the future'). However, these errors are infrequent and do not cause any confusion for the reader. Your punctuation is generally accurate, and the overall flow of the sentences is natural.
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