Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-23
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 Suraj ,
Hope you are doing well . I am very glad to know that you offered a place in the same university .
AS I COME TO KNOW THAT CURRENTLY YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LIVE . I HAVE an ADVISE FOR you try to find a place near the campus if possible in it bacause it will save your commute time . Moreover you can spent more time on your studies without getting tiered . Most of the students made this mistake and I
donot want you to repeat it .Secondly, peacful surroundings are beter to concentrate on your goals . New students always wants to live in multiple stories because of cheap rent which leads to
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the development of the required points. While you mention where you lived and provide a recommendation, the warning about mistakes is incomplete and cuts off abruptly at the end of the text. The tone is appropriate for an email to a friend, but the lack of development and the unfinished nature of the response mean that the task is only partially addressed. To improve, ensure you fully develop each bullet point and check that your response meets the minimum length requirement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The email lacks clear paragraphing, which makes the structure difficult to follow. While there are some attempts at cohesive devices like 'Moreover' and 'Secondly', the flow is disrupted by the abrupt ending and the lack of logical progression between ideas. The sentences are somewhat disjointed, and the overall organization is not sufficiently developed to guide the reader effectively. To improve, use clear paragraph breaks for each bullet point and ensure that your ideas are linked smoothly with a variety of cohesive devices.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally basic and repetitive. There are several errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'ADVISE' (should be 'advice'), 'bacause', 'tiered' (likely meant 'tired'), 'peacful', and 'beter'. The range of vocabulary is limited, and the errors occasionally make the text harder to read. To improve, focus on using more precise vocabulary related to housing and university life, and pay closer attention to spelling and word forms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with verb tense ('you offered' instead of 'you have been offered'), capitalization (random use of uppercase letters), and sentence structure. The use of punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing spaces after commas and periods. The range of grammatical structures is limited to simple sentences, and the errors are frequent enough to cause some difficulty for the reader. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and consistent punctuation.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.