Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)
Dear Gurdeep,
I am very happy to listen you want to enroll in academic university where i took MBA course. This university is more popular in all cities this program. Although it is very difficult to find space for living this university due to more students, i recommend to live in university hostels due to not only peaceful atmosphere but also hygienic and cheaper. Moreover, i suggest to you fill form to advance for pre booking room so you can easily get it. In contrast, if you will living in hotels and restaurants, you would face number of problems including pay high amount of bills such as a laundry, electricity which is more expensive than university hostels.
Furthermore, when you choose accommodation, you would need to attention to choose good roommates and better mess where you would take breakfast, lunch and dinner. So, i suggest to choose better accommodation while you need to take some time because accommodation is more necessary to focus on study. I hope you take better decision.
your lovely,
Gagan
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response addresses all three bullet points: describing your past living situation, recommending a search method, and warning about common mistakes. However, the development of these points is somewhat limited. For example, the description of where you lived is vague, simply stating you took an MBA course without detailing the actual accommodation type. The advice is relevant, but the warning about 'hotels and restaurants' is slightly unrealistic for a student context, which impacts the task's naturalness. To improve, ensure each point is fully elaborated with specific, realistic details that directly answer the prompt's requirements.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The email follows a logical structure with an introduction, body, and closing. You use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover', 'In contrast', and 'Furthermore' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing and sentence structure, such as the transition into the warning section. Paragraphing is present but could be more distinct to separate the three required points more clearly. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph focuses on a single, well-developed idea to enhance the overall progression of the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing for clear communication. You use some topic-specific terms like 'accommodation', 'hostels', and 'pre-booking'. However, there are several instances of unnatural word choice and collocation errors, such as 'listen you want to enroll' (should be 'hear that you want to enroll') and 'pay high amount of bills'. Some phrasing is repetitive, and the range is somewhat limited. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise collocations and idiomatic expressions suitable for an informal email to a friend.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede readability. Issues include missing articles ('in university hostels'), incorrect verb forms ('if you will living'), and preposition errors ('attention to choose'). While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar and sentence construction prevent the writing from reaching a higher level. Focus on subject-verb agreement, correct tense usage in conditional sentences, and the proper use of articles to improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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