Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear Aman,

It's been a long time when we last time met on your graduation party. It's a really happy for you that are studying at the same university where I studied, because this university is one of the best in this region. I would like to advice you to live in a university's hostel.

When I was studying I was in same situation as I have no idea where to live. I was surprised, when I found university offers more than fifty percent reimbursement to post graduate students. During my whole study, I lived there because it was not only near to university I also got part time job there as well.

This facility is limited as this residence does not have enough rooms. I would recommend you book your place online instead of visiting in-person, because in person you have to book an appointment, which is time consuming process.

While choosing accommodation do not choose private option, as it is not only expensive, but also you will be lonely and home sickness.

All the best for you degree.

Best regards,

Mandeep

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the task. You described your past living situation, recommended booking online, and warned against private accommodation. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the warning about private accommodation is brief and lacks specific detail, and the explanation of the hostel benefits could be more descriptive. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is fully extended with more supporting details or personal anecdotes. The tone is appropriate for an email to a friend, and the purpose of the letter is clear throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The email is logically organized into paragraphs, each focusing on a specific requirement of the prompt. You use some basic cohesive devices such as 'While', 'because', and 'instead of'. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes a bit mechanical, and there are instances where the connection between ideas could be smoother. For example, the transition in the second paragraph regarding the part-time job feels slightly abrupt. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that referencing (e.g., 'this facility') is always clear will help improve the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your message clearly. You use some relevant terms like 'reimbursement', 'accommodation', and 'post graduate'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'It's a really happy for you' (should be 'It's really great news') and 'you will be lonely and home sickness' (should be 'you will feel lonely and homesick'). To improve, focus on using more natural collocations and ensuring that word forms (nouns vs. adjectives) are used correctly in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that affect the accuracy of your writing. Examples include 'It's been a long time when we last time met' (should be 'It's been a long time since we last met') and 'for you degree' (should be 'for your degree'). Additionally, there are some missing articles and issues with verb tense consistency. To achieve a higher score, work on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and preposition usage, and try to incorporate a wider variety of error-free complex sentences.

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

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