Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-07

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 Harpreet,

I hope you are doing great. I am very pleased to know that you has been offered a place at algoma university.

When I studied there, I used to live in a sharing room in the basement of the house, near downtown Brampton. I chose that place because it was close to the university, thus it was convenient for me to commute to the university on everyday basis. I would also suggest you to find a place somewhere in the downtown area.

You can search it at facebook marketplace as there are many places listed there, along with the description about the location, rent and other amenities available.

Please note, avoid to choose any house which has more than 4 people living there, as it gets quite noisy and inconvenient to use the kitchen and bathroom. Also, make sure to find a place where bus stations are located at walking distance, so you don’t have to walk long to get there, as it gets extremely difficult in the winter months when it is snowy outside. Try to find an accommodation where grocery stores and other convenient stores can be easily accessible.

With these things in mind, I am sure you would be able to find a perfect place to live during your study.

Take care

Your friend

Iqbal

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly described your past living situation, provided a practical recommendation for searching for housing, and offered relevant warnings regarding housemates and location. 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 relevant to the context of a student moving to a new city. To reach a higher band, ensure that all parts of the prompt are addressed with equal depth; for instance, the warning section is particularly well-handled, while the description of your past accommodation could be slightly more descriptive.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The email is logically organized, with a clear progression from personal experience to advice and warnings. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate these distinct points. Cohesive devices such as 'also', 'as', 'so', and 'with these things in mind' are used to link ideas. However, the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of transition words to connect sentences more fluidly. Some transitions feel slightly mechanical, but the overall structure is coherent and easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. Phrases like 'convenient for me to commute' and 'walking distance' are natural and appropriate. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'sharing room' (should be 'shared room') and 'convenient stores' (usually 'convenience stores'). While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, incorporating more precise or less common collocations would elevate the response. The current range is functional but lacks the flexibility and sophistication required for higher band scores.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors that persist. For example, 'you has been offered' should be 'you have been offered', and 'avoid to choose' should be 'avoid choosing'. Additionally, 'on everyday basis' should be 'on an everyday basis'. These errors are frequent enough to prevent a higher score, although they do not impede communication. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct verb patterns after specific verbs will help improve your accuracy.

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

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