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 Alex,

Many congratulations on getting a place on the course! I'm sure you must be really excited to start and you'll enjoy studying at the university. I'd be happy to give you some advice about finding an accommodation to live.

When I was a student here, I lived in a shared house about ten minutes' walk from the university. I had my own bedroom but shared kitchen and bathroom. I rented this house with three of my classmates. It was convenient because we could walk to lectures, and there were several shops and caffes nearby. Sharing a house also helped me save money and make friends.

I think the best way for you to look for accommodation is to check the university's accommodation website and student's noticeboard as well. You could also join Facebook marketplace groups online, where students or property owners advertise shared rooms in houses and flats. Make sure you book a visit to view the place before agreeing to anything and do compare several places before making your final decision.

Be careful not to choose a place just because its cheap. Some students forget to check how far the accommodation is from the university or whether public transport is convenient. Also, ask about extra costs such as electricity, water, internet and heating. You should check everything before signing the rental agreement.

I hope you find a great place. Let me know if you need more advice.

Best wishes,

Susana

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You provided a clear description of your past living situation, offered practical advice on how to search for accommodation, and included relevant warnings about common pitfalls. The tone is appropriate for an email to a friend, and the purpose of the letter is clear throughout. The ideas are well-developed and relevant to the context of a university student. You have fully satisfied the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The email is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a specific requirement of the prompt. The progression of ideas is smooth, moving from your personal experience to actionable advice and then to cautionary points. You use a range of cohesive devices such as 'When I was a student', 'Also', and 'I think the best way', which help the reader follow your train of thought. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate distinct topics, making the letter easy to read and follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for this informal task. Phrases like 'convenient', 'property owners', and 'rental agreement' are used accurately. There are minor slips, such as 'finding an accommodation to live' (which should be 'finding accommodation') and 'caffes' (spelled 'cafes'). However, these errors do not impede communication. You show a good ability to use topic-specific vocabulary related to housing and student life, which is sufficient for a high band score in this context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. For example, 'I had my own bedroom but shared kitchen and bathroom' and 'Some students forget to check how far the accommodation is from the university' show good control. There are very few grammatical errors; the sentence 'its cheap' should be 'it's cheap' (contraction of 'it is'). Overall, the majority of your sentences are error-free, and your control of punctuation and tense is consistent throughout the email.

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

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