Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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)

Hi Sam,

I hope you have had a great weekend and are doing well.

I am writing to let you know that I received your letter last week on Friday, I am glad that you too got this opportunity as I did 3 years back.

As you asked for my advice, I would suggest you to choose the North Campus because It's one of the best area in the University. I used to live there when I was studing at the same collage.

When you reach the place, you will meet Samantha there who works as university coordinator. She will be the best person onsite, and will help you to get your desired accommodation. Ask her to get you the furnished room because most of the students have no knowledge about the place and they often choose the non-furnished room in the same price range. Reason why I am writing this to you because you should know these things so there will be no mistake while choosing the right accommodation type.

Please let me know if you need further information or any help in the campus, I still have some good connection in the university which can be used if you need any help.

I will wait for your response.

Warm regards,

Suraj

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The student successfully covers all three bullet points required in the task instructions in a friendly and appropriate tone. First, the writer describes where they lived as a student by mentioning the North Campus and explaining that it is one of the best areas of the university. Second, a clear recommendation is provided regarding the best way to look for accommodation, which involves contacting Samantha, the university coordinator on site. Finally, the writer warns the friend about a common mistake made by students, which is choosing non-furnished rooms without realizing the price range. The position is clear throughout, and the ideas are well supported with relevant details. Therefore, this response meets all criteria for a Band 7.0 in Task Achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The email has a clear and logical organisation. It opens with an appropriate greeting, moves through the necessary points, and closes with a standard sign-off. Paragraphing is used reasonably well to separate the introduction, the main body points, and the concluding remarks. Cohesive devices are generally handled well, such as "As you asked for my advice," "When you reach the place," and "Please let me know if." However, there are minor referencing issues, such as "Reason why I am writing this to you because you should know these things," which feel slightly repetitive or clumsy. Overall, the progression of ideas is easy to follow, making this a solid Band 6.5 performance.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range suitable for a general task. Words and phrases such as "accommodation," "coordinator," "furnished room," and "desired accommodation" are used correctly. However, there are some vocabulary and spelling errors, such as "studing" instead of studying, "collage" instead of college, and "area" instead of areas in the phrase "one of the best area." While these errors do not impede communication, they restrict the lexical score. The writer attempts some less common phrasing, but occasional inaccuracies in word choice prevent the score from reaching a higher band. This corresponds to a Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as conditional and relative clauses ("When you reach the place, you will meet Samantha there who works as university coordinator"). There are several grammatical errors and punctuation slips throughout the text, including article omissions and tense issues, such as "most of the students have no knowledge about the place" and "Reason why I am writing this to you because..." which lacks a main verb. Despite these frequent errors, the meaning remains clear, and communication is rarely impeded. This performance fits the descriptors for a Band 6.0 in grammatical range and accuracy.

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

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