Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-27

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 7.0)

Dear John,

I hope you're doing well, congratulations on the new course you were offered at our university. I'm pretty sure you would need some advice on how to find a nice and comfortable accommodation. However, you don't have to worry about that because I will be providing some helpful tips to guide you during your house hunt.

First and foremost, during my study at Ekiti State University, I lived in a single self contain apartment very near to the school main gate. The apartment has three floors and I lived on the second floor, which consists of almost every basic needs including well furnitured reading tables, bed, tv, study lamps as well as tiled floors and walls in the kitchen and restroom. I'd like to add that there is also access to free electricity and running water in every room.

Furthermore, looking for accommodation can be so stressful at times but I would recommend that you join student platforms where you can receive updates on vacant apartments or hostels. I can also help with some housing agents contacts, I would advice that you reach out to them and see them physically before making any payment for accommodation.

In addition, most newly admitted students usually fall victims of scams and extortions from unverified agents who give out accommodation that has been placed on ban by the local authorities. Please kindly make sure you do proper background checks of any agent you come in contact with and also verify the status of the accommodation on the government portal before proceeding with your signature or any agreement. Once again, congratulations on your admission and I wish you a nice university experience.

Kind regards,

Abeeb.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task effectively. You described your former accommodation, provided a clear recommendation for finding a place, and included a relevant warning about potential scams. The tone is appropriate for an email to a friend, and the ideas are well-developed. To reach a higher band, ensure that all descriptions are precise; for instance, describing an apartment as having 'three floors' while living on the 'second floor' is slightly confusing, as it implies a large house rather than a typical student flat. Overall, the response is fully relevant and meets all requirements of the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The email is logically organized with clear paragraphing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, which helps the reader follow your ideas easily. You use cohesive devices such as 'First and foremost', 'Furthermore', and 'In addition' to transition between points. While these are effective, the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to avoid a slightly mechanical feel. Referencing is generally clear, and the structure of the email follows standard conventions for a personal letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. Phrases like 'newly admitted students', 'background checks', and 'unverified agents' are well-chosen and appropriate for the context. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'well furnitured' (should be 'well-furnished') and 'placed on ban' (should be 'banned'). Additionally, 'self contain' is a regionalism; in standard English, 'self-contained apartment' is preferred. Expanding your vocabulary to include more idiomatic expressions would help elevate your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is good. However, there are several grammatical errors that persist throughout the text. For example, 'I would advice' should be 'I would advise' (verb vs. noun), and 'fall victims of' should be 'fall victim to'. There are also minor punctuation and article errors, such as 'near to the school main gate' (should be 'near the main gate of the school'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and word forms will improve your accuracy.

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

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