Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-29

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 7.5)

Dear Richard,

I hope all is well!

I am so pleased to hear that you have received an offer letter of admission for the MBA program at the university where I had studied two years ago.

I still remember, when I came to this city two years ago, I had initially struggled to find a decent apartment for rent near the university. During the first three months, I had to stay at the university hostel because I was not able to find any vacant accommodation at the time of my arrival. Although the hostel had all the facility needed, it was a bit expensive as compared to the houses just outside the campus. After the long research of almost three months and with the help of an agent, I was able to find a very nice apartment, just across the university campus.

I would recommend you to start searching for apartment online as soon as possible, as this process takes time. There is also a separate department as the university which helps International students find apartment nearby. I wish, I could have known this source earlier when I was coming to this country.

Avoid looking for any accommodations advertisement provided on facebook or any other untrusted websites or social media platforms, as those are some times scam.

Nevertheless, I look forward to meeting you and I hope that you will find the accommodation by following my advice.

Best Wishes,

Rahul

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You described your past living situation, provided a clear recommendation for finding accommodation, and included a relevant warning about potential scams. The tone is appropriate for an email to a friend, and the purpose of the letter is clear throughout. The ideas are well-developed, particularly the advice regarding the university department and the warning about social media scams. The response is fully relevant to the task requirements, and the information provided is coherent and helpful for the recipient.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The email is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs addressing each bullet point, and a polite closing. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the different topics. You use cohesive devices such as 'Although', 'After the long research', and 'Nevertheless' to link your ideas. While some transitions are slightly mechanical, the flow of information is smooth and easy to follow. The progression of ideas from your personal experience to your advice and finally the warning is logical and well-structured, meeting the requirements for a high band score in this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. Phrases like 'offer letter of admission', 'vacant accommodation', and 'untrusted websites' are used accurately. There are a few minor errors in word choice, such as 'all the facility needed' (should be 'facilities') and 'some times scam' (should be 'sometimes scams'). However, these errors do not impede communication. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations or idiomatic expressions that sound more natural in an informal email context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. There are several instances of accurate complex sentences, such as 'Although the hostel had all the facility needed, it was a bit expensive'. However, there are some persistent grammatical slips, such as 'where I had studied' (should be 'where I studied'), 'as the university' (should be 'at the university'), and 'I wish, I could have known' (the comma is unnecessary). Despite these occasional errors, the majority of your sentences are error-free, and your meaning is always clear to the reader.

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

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