Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-21

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 6.0)

Dear Sarah,

I'm really pleased to hear that you have been offered a place at the University where I studied. i'm sure you will have a great experience there.

When I was student, I lived in a shared apartment about fifteen minutes from the unviversity. I had my own bedroom, while the kitchen and living room were shared with two other student . it was resonable priced and convenient because there were several supermarkets and bus stops nearly.

I would recommend looking for accommodation through the university's student housing service or reliable online accommodation websites. It is also a good idea to join local student groups , as students often advertise rooms in shared houses there. Try to arrange a viewing before paying any money.

One comman mistake is choosing a place simply because the rent is cheap. You should also check the distance from the university, transport costs and what bills are including. In addition, make sure you understand the rental agreement and avoid paying a deposit without checking the landlord's details

I hope you find a comfortable place soon.

Best wishes,

Jyoti

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response fully and effectively addresses all bullet points outlined in the prompt. First, the writer describes where they lived when they were a student, mentioning a shared apartment fifteen minutes from the university with their own bedroom and shared common areas. Second, they provide practical recommendations on how to find accommodation, suggesting the university housing service, online websites, and local student groups. Third, they effectively warn against common mistakes, such as choosing a place solely based on cheap rent, failing to check transport costs or bills included, and neglecting rental agreements or landlord details. The tone is appropriate for an informal email to a friend, and all ideas are fully supported and extended. The response satisfies the band 7 descriptor for addressing all parts with well-developed ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The email has a clear, logical structure with a natural progression of ideas. Each paragraph corresponds to a specific bullet point from the prompt, which ensures the text is easy to follow. Cohesive devices are used appropriately to link points, such as 'When I was student', 'It is also a good idea', and 'In addition'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, separating the greeting, body paragraphs, and sign-off clearly. Referencing is generally clear, and the overall arrangement of the text meets the criteria for Band 7, displaying clear logical organization throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating topic-specific terms like 'shared apartment', 'student housing service', 'rental agreement', and 'landlord's details'. There are some spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'unviversity' instead of 'university', 'student' instead of 'students', 'resonable' instead of 'reasonably', 'nearly' instead of 'nearby', and 'comman' instead of 'common'. However, these lexical slips do not impede communication, and the writer attempts less common expressions like 'arrange a viewing' and 'bills are including'. This performance sits comfortably within Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and conditional-like structures effectively (e.g., 'Try to arrange a viewing before paying any money' and 'You should also check the distance from the university...'). There are some noticeable grammatical errors, such as capitalization slips ('i'm'), a missing article ('When I was student'), and a passive voice error ('bills are including' instead of 'bills are included'). Despite these errors, they rarely impede communication, and the overall control of grammar and punctuation is good enough to secure a solid band 6.5, rounded to 6.0 based on the frequency of minor slips.

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

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