Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-26

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 8.0)

Dear Sarah,

I hope you are doing well. I was really happy to hear that you have been offered a place at my old university. Congratulations! I would be pleased to give you some advice about finding suitable accommodation.

When I was a student there, I lived in a shared apartment about ten minutes from the university. It was quite convenient because there were several grocery stores and bus stops nearby. The rent was also reasonable, although I had to share the kitchen and living room with two other students.

I would recommend looking for accommodation through the university’s student housing website or local student accommodation groups. You could also contact the university’s housing office, as they usually have reliable information about available rooms. I would suggest starting your search early because good places are often taken quickly.

One mistake students sometimes make is choosing a very cheap place without checking its location or condition. You should also avoid paying a deposit before seeing the accommodation and confirming the rental agreement.

I hope this advice helps. Let me know if you need any more information.

Best wishes,

Kirat

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response fully addresses all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly described your previous living situation, provided practical recommendations for finding accommodation, and offered sensible warnings regarding common pitfalls. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, and the purpose of the email is clear from the outset. The ideas are well-developed and relevant, meeting all requirements of the task effectively.

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 finally to warnings. You use cohesive devices such as 'When I was a student there', 'I would also recommend', and 'One mistake' effectively to link your points. The paragraphing is clear and appropriate for an informal email format.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary that is natural and appropriate for the context. Phrases like 'reasonable rent', 'reliable information', and 'rental agreement' show a solid command of topic-specific language. While the vocabulary is accurate and fits the task well, it is functional rather than highly sophisticated. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate more precise collocations or idiomatic expressions to add flair to your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

Your grammar is highly accurate throughout the response. You successfully use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the conditional 'If you need any more information' and the use of gerunds after 'avoid' and 'suggest'. There are no noticeable grammatical errors, and punctuation is used correctly. The writing is fluent and easy to follow, reflecting a high level of control over English syntax.

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

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