Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

Dear preeti,

subject- helping her to find house to live.

Hello Preeti, hope so you are doing well. i got your message, as you got admission in the same university I study in. i was living near by street to university, whereas it was very easy to commute to university from home. Accommodation was full of good environment and fullly furnished where I spent 2 years. every movement i remember i spend there.

i want to give you a advice dont get in rush to find accommodation , firstly go and visit there see the atmosphere and then make a decision . If you want a private place i can ask my friend for that she has living there from last 5 years. i hope you find your accommodation soon. see you soon in your new place and we will have a good time together .

Thankyou

your friend

Nancy

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all three bullet points: describing your past accommodation, recommending a search method, and warning about mistakes. However, the development of these ideas is quite limited. For instance, the warning about mistakes is vague; you suggest visiting the place first, but you do not explicitly explain what common mistakes students make (e.g., signing contracts without viewing, or choosing locations too far from campus). To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific details and explanations for each point to fully develop your ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The email is organized into a single block of text, which makes it difficult to follow. You should use clear paragraph breaks to separate the different points requested in the prompt. While there is a basic attempt at logical progression, the lack of paragraphing and the limited use of cohesive devices (such as 'furthermore', 'consequently', or 'in addition') make the flow feel somewhat disjointed. Improving your paragraph structure and using a wider range of linking words would significantly enhance the readability of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally functional but lacks variety and precision. You rely on simple phrases like 'good environment' and 'fullly furnished'. There are also some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'near by street to university' (should be 'near the university') and 'every movement i remember i spend there' (which is unclear). To improve, try to use more descriptive adjectives and more natural collocations related to housing and student life. Expanding your vocabulary will help you express your ideas more clearly and effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains several grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. There are issues with article usage ('the university'), verb tense consistency ('she has living there' should be 'she has been living there'), and sentence structure. Many sentences are simple, and there is a lack of complex structures. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of lowercase 'i' and missing spaces after commas. Focusing on basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and consistent capitalization will help improve your accuracy and overall control of the language.

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

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