Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.5 · 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 8.5)

Dear Sarah,

I’m really happy to hear that you have been offered a place on a course at the university where I studied. I’d be glad to give you some advice about finding accommodation.

When I was a student there, I lived in a shared apartment about fifteen minutes away from the university by bus. I shared it with two other students, and we had our own bedrooms but shared the kitchen and bathroom. It was quite affordable and convenient because there were supermarkets and a bus stop nearby.

I would recommend looking for accommodation through university housing websites or local student groups on social media. You could also contact the university’s accommodation office, as they may have reliable listings. It would be best to start looking as early as possible because good places are usually taken quickly.

However, be careful not to choose a place only because it is cheap. Some students forget to check what is included in the rent, such as electricity, heating and internet. You should also visit the accommodation before paying any deposit and carefully read the rental agreement.

I hope you find a comfortable and affordable place soon. Good luck with your studies!

Best wishes,

Raman

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 9.0

The response fully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly described your past living situation, provided practical recommendations for finding accommodation, and offered relevant warnings about common mistakes. The tone is consistently appropriate for an email to a friend, maintaining a helpful and encouraging persona throughout. The ideas are well-developed and logically presented, ensuring the reader receives comprehensive advice. There are no omissions, and the purpose of the email is achieved effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The email is well-organized with a logical progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific requirement of the task, which makes the information easy to follow. You have used cohesive devices such as 'When I was a student', 'I would recommend', and 'However' to link your ideas smoothly. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the transition between the description of your past experience and the advice for the future is natural. The overall structure is coherent and professional.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for this informal yet informative context. Phrases like 'reliable listings', 'affordable and convenient', and 'rental agreement' are used accurately. The language is natural and fits the task requirements well. While the vocabulary is functional and clear, it remains within a standard range. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate more precise or idiomatic expressions to add variety, but the current level is perfectly sufficient for the task and conveys your meaning without any ambiguity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.5

Your writing displays a high level of grammatical accuracy. You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively, such as 'I’d be glad to give you some advice' and 'Some students forget to check what is included in the rent, such as electricity, heating and internet.' Punctuation is used correctly throughout, and there are no noticeable errors in tense or subject-verb agreement. The control over complex structures is consistent, and the writing is error-free, which reflects a strong command of English grammar.

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

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