Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-12
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 5.5)
Dear Gagandeep,
I hope this email finds you well. I am writing this letter on the purpose of finding the accommodation near the university which would be reduce your travel time.
Commencing with the my study time, when I was studying in university I was lived in sharing apartment which was provided by the university. The apartment was really amazing with peaceful environment that is much important for student in order to get the proper sleep and focus on study.
Moving to the recommendations, to be honest I would like to suggest that please send an email to university services regarding the finding accommodation, also please mention you are looking room in sea side area. You have to add this address because first of all it's cheaper and secondly it has best environment.
There are some of alerts that you need stay. While, looking for the apartment make sure check all windows and area if something is already broken or damage repot immediately to the manager of the building. In addition, also try to not keep cash and place your documents in secure place. Please keep these alert in your mind and if you need any help you may contact me any time.
Thank you.
Your friend,
Amrit.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student covers all bullet points of the task satisfactorily. They describe their past living arrangement in a university sharing apartment, recommend sending an email to university services and looking near the seaside area, and warn the friend about checking for damages and securing valuables. However, the tone and purpose at the very beginning ('I am writing this letter on the purpose of finding the accommodation') is slightly confused, as they are actually giving advice rather than searching for accommodation themselves. Despite this minor misstatement in the opening sentence, the overall communicative purpose is achieved, and the key content requirements are clearly met. Therefore, the response corresponds well to Band 6.0 descriptors.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The letter is organised into clear paragraphs with an appropriate opening and closing, establishing a logical overall structure. Cohesive devices are used to signal progression, such as 'Commencing with the my study time', 'Moving to the recommendations', and 'In addition'. However, some of these transitions feel somewhat mechanical or unnatural. Furthermore, referencing is occasionally imprecise, and the progression within the body paragraphs could be smoother. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate the distinct points of the prompt, resulting in a cohesive arrangement that aligns with a Band 6.0 level.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, successfully attempting less common phrases such as 'peaceful environment', 'university services', and 'secure place'. However, there are several word choice errors and awkward collocations throughout the text, such as 'on the purpose of' instead of 'for the purpose of', 'finding the accommodation' instead of 'finding accommodation', and 'repots immediately' instead of 'report immediately'. Spelling and word formation errors do not severely impede communication, but they restrict the lexical score to a Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses ('which was provided by the university') and conditional or temporal clauses ('when I was studying in university'). However, grammar and punctuation control is inconsistent, with frequent errors such as tense and preposition misuse ('I was lived in sharing apartment'), missing articles ('for student', 'looking room'), and awkward phrasing ('that you need stay'). While these errors do not completely obscure the message, they cause noticeable difficulty for the reader and prevent the grammar score from reaching a Band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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