Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-25
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 Gurpreet,
How've you been? It's a long time since we last caught up. I'm so delighted to hear that you're coming to my university to complete your course. I got to know that you're looking for a residence during your stay. I've got plenty options for you.
Since you are coming in the mid of August, you can't directly go to college dorms which usually offer rooms from 1st of September for Fall semester students. I also stayed in a hotel for a week when I first joined the university. However, dorms are a great accommodation owing to its security and facilities.
Other than university hostel, you could also rent a one bedroom apartment in town which will cost you around $1000 per month, but it is not budget friendly, honestly. What's more, there is a website made by locals for visitors to find accommodation; it's called Mytrip.com. I believe, you could find something over there. Additionally, Indian community has a Facebook page where they usually post about residence's availability, either shared or private on reasonable prices.
Furthermore, I want to suggest you to make a wise decisions and look for a place which is close to your university because the weather of the city in winters is terrible. Last year, Dawson Creek had more than 25cm of snowfall and below -20 degree Celsius temperature for the entire month of November and December. Therefore, try to pick something closer to avoid long travelling time.
See you soon!
Love,
Komal
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 8.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.0 |
| Overall | 7.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0
The response successfully addresses all three bullet points of the task. You clearly described your own experience staying in a hotel, provided specific recommendations like Mytrip.com and the Indian community Facebook page, and offered a relevant warning about the harsh winter weather. The tone is appropriate for an email to a friend, and the purpose is clear throughout. The ideas are well-developed and provide sufficient detail to be helpful to the recipient. You have fully satisfied the requirements of the task.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5
The email is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, and you use a variety of cohesive devices such as 'Since', 'However', 'Other than', 'What's more', and 'Therefore' to link your points effectively. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the flow of information is natural. There is a minor issue with the transition between the introduction and the body, but overall, the structure is coherent and easy to follow throughout the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.0
You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for an informal email. Phrases like 'budget friendly', 'reasonable prices', and 'long travelling time' are used correctly. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'I got to know that' (better: 'I heard that') and 'residence's availability' (should be 'residence availability'). However, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly and naturally. You show an ability to use less common items, and your word choices are generally precise enough for the context of the task.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. There are some minor grammatical slips, such as 'in the mid of August' (should be 'in the middle of August') and 'owing to its security' (referring to 'dorms', which is plural, so 'their' would be more accurate). Additionally, 'I want to suggest you to make' is slightly awkward; 'I suggest you make' or 'I would advise you to make' would be more natural. Despite these occasional errors, your meaning is never obscured, and the majority of your sentences are error-free.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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