Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-28

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 James,

I hope you are doing well. I have heard that you have been offered a course at our university and now you are looking for accommodation.

When I was studying at the university, I used to live in the apartment building near our university. The cost of that apartment was very reasonable and since it was close to our university, I used to walk for attending the classes.

However, I came to know that the prices of that apartment got increased a lot during the past few months. Thus, I recommend you to look for accommodation facilities provided by our university. I also got that apartment with the help of those facilities. The staff is very helpful and would help you to find a better option.

Moreover, make sure to sign the contract after reading all the terms and conditions thoroughly. My friend had experienced a lot of trouble when he found out that electricity and water bills were not included in his rent. Therefore, be aware of such things.

Warm Regards,

George

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response successfully addresses all three bullet points of the task. You clearly described your previous living situation, provided a logical recommendation regarding university accommodation, and offered a relevant warning about hidden costs in rental contracts. The tone is appropriate for an email to a friend, and the purpose of the communication is clear throughout. The ideas are well-developed and relevant to the prompt, fulfilling the requirements of the task effectively. To reach a higher band, you could provide slightly more descriptive detail about the 'apartment building' or the specific nature of the university facilities to further extend your ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The email is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific requirement of the prompt, which helps the reader follow your advice easily. You use cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Thus', 'Moreover', and 'Therefore' to link your sentences and paragraphs. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. The paragraphing is appropriate for an informal email format. To improve, ensure that referencing (e.g., 'that apartment') is always precise to avoid any ambiguity regarding which property you are referring to.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'accommodation facilities', 'terms and conditions', and 'thoroughly'. The language is natural and appropriate for the context of advising a friend. There are no significant spelling or word-choice errors that impede communication. However, the vocabulary is somewhat functional and lacks a wider range of less common or more sophisticated collocations. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more varied descriptive adjectives or idiomatic expressions that would naturally occur in a friendly email.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'since it was close to our university, I used to walk for attending the classes'. While your meaning is always clear, there are some minor grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'walk for attending' (should be 'walk to attend') and 'got increased' (should be 'has increased'). The majority of your sentences are error-free, and your punctuation is generally correct. To improve, focus on refining your use of verb tenses and prepositions to ensure greater precision in your complex sentences.

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

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