Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-22
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 6.0)
Dear friend
I am so glad that you got an admission into Memorial university for your bachelors degree. It is a great university where you can meet great and knowledgeable professors. Additionally, you can meet students from around the world and learn about different cultures. When I was studying in that university it was not hard at all for me to make friends and I know you will make friends easily.
I know finding an accommodation is hard, but when I was a student I was living off-campus. Originally I leased one of the apartments nearby campus on the university avenue and either took bus or walked to campus. I found some roommates on facebook marketplace who were also looking for an accommodation that time.
I really encourage you to live off campus and find good roommates. I highly suggest that don't do a lease for more than one year.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response addresses all three bullet points: describing your past living situation, recommending a search method, and warning about common mistakes. However, the development of these ideas is quite limited. For instance, the warning about not signing a lease for more than one year is a good point, but it lacks explanation or context. Similarly, the recommendation to use Facebook Marketplace is clear but brief. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your points by providing more detail or personal insight, which would help the response feel more like a natural, helpful email to a friend while fully satisfying the task requirements.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The email is logically organized into paragraphs, with each paragraph focusing on a specific aspect of the prompt. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Additionally' and 'When I was studying', to link ideas. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes a bit mechanical. The transition between the opening pleasantries and the advice could be smoother. The use of referencing is generally clear, but the overall structure could benefit from more varied linking words to improve the flow and make the connection between your personal experience and the advice more explicit.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your message clearly. You use some topic-specific vocabulary like 'off-campus', 'leased', and 'roommates'. However, the range is somewhat limited and repetitive. For example, you use the word 'great' twice in the first paragraph. To improve, try to incorporate a wider variety of descriptive adjectives and more precise verbs. While there are no major spelling errors, the range of vocabulary does not demonstrate the flexibility or precision required for a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'got an admission into Memorial university' (should be 'got admission to Memorial University') and 'at that time' instead of 'at that time'. The phrase 'don't do a lease' is slightly informal and could be phrased more naturally as 'avoid signing a lease'. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on article usage and more natural collocations will help improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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