Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-31

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 6.5)

Dear Rose,

Hope my letter finds you in good health. I feel happy for you that you are going to pursue your Hotel Management course in Panjab University, however, you need some advice while selecting a place to live. I want to share my experience and give some suggestions regards this.

When I was a student at university I used to live in girls hostel known as Rani Laxmi Bai Hostel No: 5. I was very convenient for me because my department was at 5 minutes away from it by walk. Moreover, the university market was also very close to it. So, never feel any difficulties related to amenities during my studies. The hostels open the portal for new students in April, but they always have limited seats. If you want to stay in the one of the university hostels keep eye on the opening dates.

There are also numerous Paying Guests house are located near the university. It also provides great facilities to students accordingly. Unfortunately they might be expensive as compare to hostels. You can use application such as Facebook marketplace, Kijiji to find some accommodation. While searching for place to live always keep few things in mind. Firstly, do agreement with your landlord so if anything happen you should have some legal documents to challenge them, choose place near to market and university and many more.

Hope my suggestions help you. Wishing you all the best.

Yours lovingly,

Dean.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You described your previous living situation, provided a recommendation for finding accommodation, and included a warning about potential mistakes. The tone is appropriate for an email to a friend, and the purpose of the letter is clear throughout. To reach a higher band, you could expand slightly on the 'mistakes' section; while you mention signing an agreement, explaining the consequences of not doing so or providing more specific examples of common pitfalls would further develop your ideas and demonstrate a more comprehensive response to the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The email is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each focusing on a specific aspect of the prompt. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Moreover,' 'Unfortunately,' and 'Firstly,' which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. For example, the transition between discussing the university hostel and the Paying Guest houses could be improved with a more natural linking phrase. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, and the paragraphing is appropriate for an informal email.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, using terms like 'amenities,' 'accommodation,' and 'portal' correctly. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'do agreement' (should be 'sign an agreement') and 'keep eye on' (should be 'keep an eye on'). Additionally, 'Paying Guests house' is slightly awkward; 'paying guest accommodation' would be more natural. While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, incorporating more precise collocations and idiomatic expressions would help elevate your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'I was very convenient' (should be 'It was very convenient'), 'as compare to' (should be 'compared to'), and 'if anything happen' (should be 'if anything happens'). These errors are frequent but do not impede communication. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of comparative structures. Increasing the variety of complex sentences while ensuring accuracy in verb tenses would help you move into the higher band range.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.