Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-15

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 7.5)

Dear Mohit,

I was really happy to hear that you were offered a place to study at the university where I studied. I'm writing to provide some advice about finding a place to live.

I lived in a one-bedroom apartment located near the university. The apartment was in a lively area and public transportation and other shops are easily accessible, which made it convenient to commute to university and do grocery shopping.

I'd like to recommend various ways to find accommodation. You can check online platforms such as Facebook Marketplace, where all the available places are listed and available for rent. Another option is to register with an agency that can help you find a place to live.

Be careful before signing the lease agreement, check all the details mentioned in that agreement like what is included in the rent such as parking, internet and utilities. Don't forget to check the start and end dates of the lease.

I hope this advice will help you in the future. Please let me know if you need any further information about public transport near the area.

Best regards,

Axay Nayi

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The candidate has successfully covered all parts of the task prompt. The letter begins appropriately with 'Dear Mohit,' and adopts a semi-formal, friendly tone. For the first bullet point, the writer vividly describes living in a 'one-bedroom apartment located near the university' in a 'lively area'. For the second point, practical recommendations are provided, suggesting 'online platforms such as Facebook Marketplace' and registering with a housing agency. For the third bullet point, the student warns about checking lease details such as 'parking, internet and utilities' and lease start and end dates. All requirements are fully addressed with relevant, well-developed ideas, meeting the criteria for a high band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The response is well-organized with a clear logical progression from greeting to the description of past accommodation, recommendations, warnings, and a polite closing. Paragraphing is used appropriately and effectively, with each paragraph dedicated to a single main topic (e.g., introduction, past housing, recommendations, and warnings). Cohesive devices such as 'such as', 'Another option is', and 'Before signing' are used naturally and manage the flow of information well without being overly mechanical. Referencing throughout the letter is clear and easy to follow, supporting overall cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The student demonstrates an adequate to good range of vocabulary suitable for a general task. Phrases like 'public transportation and other shops are easily accessible', 'online platforms', and 'lease agreement' show precision and contextual awareness. There are some minor repetitive patterns, such as using 'available' twice in close proximity ('where all the available places are listed and available for rent'), but overall, the lexical resource is sufficient for smooth communication with occasional less common lexical items deployed effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The writer uses a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'The apartment was in a lively area and public transportation and other shops are easily accessible, which made it convenient to commute...' Grammatical control is generally strong throughout the response. There is a minor tense inconsistency in the second paragraph where the past tense shifts to the present ('The apartment was... and public transportation... are easily accessible'), but this does not impede communication. The majority of sentences are error-free, reflecting solid command of punctuation and grammar.

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

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