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 Pawan,

I was absolutely thrilled to hear the news that you have been accepted into the Community and justice services program at same university where i studied in Toronto. I'd be very glad to give you some great information about finding an excellent place to live.

When I was a student, I lived in a shared three bedroom house just off-campus on Dundas Street west. It was an older house but very spacious and the location was fantastic because I could walk to all my lectures in under ten minutes and had easy access to the subway. I shared my room with one roommate also made it much more affordable.

To look for a place, I highly recommend using whatsapp groups where people post avaliablity of room in group chats all the times. Moreover, I also suggust to look for accommodation on market place.

One major mistake you should avoid is not rushing to sign a lease contract for the property just viewing site from the photos online, as sometime there no air conditioning or heat. Make sure to clear what utilities are included in the rent.

Hope this information will be helpful for you.

Warm regards,

Kiranveer Kaur

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 clear recommendation for finding accommodation, and offered a relevant warning about common mistakes. 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 risks of renting based solely on online photos. To reach a higher band, ensure that all details are fully expanded; for instance, you could have elaborated slightly more on why the shared house was a positive experience beyond just the location and cost.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The email is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs covering the specific requirements, and a closing. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Moreover' and 'When I was a student' to link ideas. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally slightly mechanical. Some transitions could be more natural to improve the overall cohesion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different points requested in the task. Overall, the message is easy to follow, and the progression of ideas is logical throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'spacious', 'affordable', and 'utilities'. There are some spelling errors, such as 'avaliablity' (availability) and 'suggust' (suggest), and minor word choice issues like 'clear what utilities' instead of 'clarify what utilities'. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and ensure spelling accuracy, as these are essential for reaching the higher band descriptors where a wider, more flexible range of vocabulary is expected.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical slips, such as 'at same university where i studied' (missing articles and capitalization), 'also made it much more affordable' (missing subject), and 'there no air conditioning' (missing verb). While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding your message. To achieve a higher score, focus on subject-verb agreement, consistent use of articles, and ensuring that complex sentences are constructed accurately without missing auxiliary verbs or pronouns.

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

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