Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-01

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 Raha,

I hope you are doing well. I am glad to know that you offered place in institution where I had studied. I am happy to give you some suggestion regarding which place is better to live.

When I was student there, I lived in a shared apartment about 15 min walking distance from the university. I had my own private bedroom , but kitchen and living room was shared by with other two girls. The price was reasonable and the area was also safe to live, specially for girls. Moreover, shopping centers, and other shops were nearby to my home. Consequently, it was convenient landmark to stay for me.

In my opinion, the best way to find accommodation through university's students accommodation official website or join social media group of it. However, I would recommended visiting the property before paying fees or signing an agreement.

Never trust any cheap rental place before visiting that property. You should also check the location, safety and transportation services. In addition, make sure that bills are included in rent or not. Another important point is that you have to read carefully tenancy agreement and avoid paying large amount of deposit without confirming that landlord and property are genuine.

I hope this tips helps you find a comfortable and affordable place. Let me know if you need any more advice.

Yours faithfully,

Divya Mistry

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You described your previous living situation, provided a clear recommendation for finding housing, and offered relevant warnings regarding potential pitfalls. The tone is appropriate for an email to a friend, and the purpose of the letter is clear throughout. The ideas are well-developed and provide sufficient detail to be helpful to the recipient. To reach a higher band, ensure that all minor grammatical slips do not distract from the clarity of your advice.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The email is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each requirement, and a closing. You use a range of cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'Consequently', 'However', and 'In addition' to link your ideas. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the different topics requested in the prompt. The referencing is clear, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow from start to finish.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'accommodation', 'tenancy agreement', and 'convenient'. There are some minor word choice errors, such as 'I am glad to know that you offered place' (should be 'were offered a place') and 'convenient landmark' (which is slightly unnatural in this context). However, these do not impede communication. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations related to housing, such as 'rental market' or 'security deposit'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('I was student', 'in institution'), subject-verb agreement issues ('kitchen and living room was shared'), and minor prepositional errors ('nearby to my home'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding your message. To achieve a higher score, focus on proofreading for basic article usage and ensuring that plural subjects take plural verbs.

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

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