Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-30
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 Alex,
How's everything. it's been ages since we met. Good to know you got a place at the same university.
When I was a student there I lived quite close to the university and lived in Lawrence and Woodbine area which is near to the university, and the neighbourhood was quite peaceful with many facilities.
The best way to find accommodation around that area is Facebook marketplace because most of the landlords post their houses/flats on the Facebook. You can also filter or set your budget range on the Facebook so it'll provide you listing accordingly.
Students make some mistakes when finding the living spaces. Keep in mind always check the accommodations in person because sometimes on the listing owners don't update the latest condition of the place. Most of the time, they show the new pictures of the house.
Best Wishes,
Sandeep
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses all three bullet points: describing your previous accommodation, recommending a search method, and warning about common mistakes. However, the response is 144 words, which falls short of the 150-word minimum requirement. This under-length impacts the development of your ideas; for instance, the description of where you lived is quite brief, and the advice could have been more detailed to fully satisfy the task requirements. To improve, ensure you expand on your points with more descriptive language or personal anecdotes to comfortably exceed the word count and provide a more comprehensive response.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The email is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each focusing on a specific requirement of the prompt. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'When I was a student', 'The best way', and 'Keep in mind'. While the flow is generally easy to follow, the transitions between sentences are sometimes a bit mechanical. To reach a higher band, try to use a wider variety of linking words and phrases to connect your ideas more fluidly, and ensure that your referencing (e.g., 'the Facebook') is natural and accurate.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, using terms like 'accommodation', 'landlords', and 'neighbourhood'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'on the Facebook' (which should simply be 'on Facebook') and 'provide you listing' (which should be 'provide you with listings'). The vocabulary is functional but lacks the sophistication or variety that would characterize a higher band. Focusing on more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing will help improve your score in this area.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as the punctuation error in the opening ('How's everything. it's been ages...') and missing articles or pluralization issues ('on the listing', 'show the new pictures'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, pay closer attention to sentence boundaries, subject-verb agreement, and the correct use of articles. Proofreading for these small, recurring errors will significantly enhance the accuracy of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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