Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)
Dear Anis,
Hope you are doing well, I am glad to hear that you are going to study in Toronto University.
Congratulation on your admission.
I used live in a student complex provided by the university. However, it is a bit crowded place and if you do not want to share the place, I would suggest you to look for another options.
The best way to find a accommodation is the university information board at the cafetaria where you can find local accomodations informations. You should check for the house or apartment rental which has 2 to 3 person sharing together. It will be the most convenient option for you.
Do not consider going for basements units options as most of the basement units are not legally approved and it does not have any safety checks. In case of emergency it would be dangerous for you to escape. Although, they would have the cheapest options for rental, they do not provides any safety.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
The candidate has fully addressed all parts of the task prompt in a friendly and appropriate tone. First, the writer describes where they lived as a student, mentioning that they 'used live in a student complex provided by the university.' Second, they recommend the best way to find accommodation by pointing to 'the university information board at the cafetaria.' Finally, they effectively warn against certain mistakes, specifically advising against 'basements units options' due to a lack of legal approval and safety checks. All bullet points are thoroughly covered, and the purpose of the email is achieved successfully with relevant and well-developed ideas.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0
The email has a clear logical progression and follows a standard friendly letter format starting with an appropriate greeting. Ideas are grouped into coherent paragraphs, each addressing a specific bullet point from the prompt, such as past accommodation, recommendations, and warnings. Cohesive devices are used adequately, including transition words like 'However,' 'Although,' and 'In case of emergency.' While referencing and paragraphing are generally managed well, the mechanical flow could be slightly smoother in places, which places this response comfortably at Band 7.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for a general task email. Phrases such as 'congratulation on your admission,' 'convenient option,' and 'legally approved' demonstrate a sufficient range for flexibility and precision. However, there are some noticeable vocabulary and collocation errors, such as 'used live' instead of 'used to live,' 'find a accommodation' with an incorrect article, and 'cafetaria' (spelling error) and 'accomodations informations' (pluralisation error). Despite these slips, the vocabulary is clear and communication is never impeded, fitting the Band 6 descriptor well.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing conditionals and subordinate clauses effectively, such as 'if you do not want to share the place, I would suggest you to look for another options.' However, there are several grammatical errors present, including 'I used live' (missing infinitive marker 'to'), 'another options' (plural noun agreement error with 'another'), and 'they do not provides' (subject-verb agreement error). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but these persistent grammatical inaccuracies mean the response does not reach the error-free threshold required for a Band 7.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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