Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-24

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 7.0)

Advice about finding accommodation

Dear Sam,

Congratulations on getting a place at the university! I’m happy for you. When I studied there, I lived in a shared house about fifteen minutes from campus. I had my own room but shared the kitchen and bathroom with other students. It was affordable, comfortable, and close to shops and bus stops.

I recommend starting your accommodation search as early as possible. Check the university housing website, trusted rental websites, and student groups. If you can, visit the room before making any payment.

Many students make the mistake of choosing the cheapest place without checking extra costs. Always ask if electricity, heating, water, and internet are included. You should also check the area, transport links, and the condition of the house. Most importantly, never send money before confirming that the landlord and property are genuine.

Best wishes,

Jatinder Rai

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all three bullet points: describing your previous accommodation, recommending search methods, and warning about common mistakes. The tone is appropriate for an email to a friend. However, the response is 145 words long, which falls short of the 150-word minimum requirement. This under-length impacts the development of ideas, as the points could have been expanded with more detail or personal anecdotes to meet the length requirement and provide a more comprehensive response. To improve, ensure you elaborate further on your experiences or advice to comfortably exceed the word count.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The email is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each requirement, and a closing. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the different topics. Cohesive devices such as 'When I studied there,' 'If you can,' and 'Most importantly' are used to guide the reader through the text. The flow of information is natural and easy to follow. The structure is appropriate for a semi-formal or informal letter, and the progression of ideas is clear throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is accurate and appropriate for the context of giving advice. You use relevant terms such as 'shared house,' 'campus,' 'affordable,' and 'genuine.' While the vocabulary is functional and clear, it is somewhat basic. To achieve a higher band score, try to incorporate more precise or sophisticated collocations related to housing, such as 'utility bills,' 'tenancy agreement,' or 'prime location.' The current range is sufficient for the task but lacks the variety of less common lexical items required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The grammar is generally accurate, with a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. For example, 'I had my own room but shared the kitchen and bathroom with other students' is a well-constructed compound sentence. There are no significant grammatical errors that impede communication. Punctuation is used correctly throughout. To improve, you could experiment with a wider variety of complex structures, such as conditional sentences (e.g., 'Had I known about the extra costs, I would have...') or passive voice constructions to add more variety to your writing.

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

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