Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-24
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 friend,
I hope you are doing well. First of all, I am happy because you got a place at my university for further education. I am sure you will enjoy your study in this university. Moreover, when I was studied I live in apartment which was not far from the campus. Even lots of other students also live in that place for the entire study. I found this accomodation from student group account which was created by university.
On the other hand, I recommend you to join this whatsapp group through our success office. You just need to tell them you are looking accommodation and they just need your photo id and you will get your room or apartment. In addition, one mistake I did for accommodation was I search from google and the site was fraud but with the help of my classmate I saved from that trap. I hope you will not do this kind of mistakes.
Your friend,
Zainab Patel.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
The student successfully covers all three bullet points required in the task instructions. First, they describe where they lived as a student by mentioning an apartment close to the campus that was shared with many other students. Second, they recommend finding accommodation by joining a WhatsApp group through the university success office. Third, they warn the friend against online fraud, sharing a personal anecdote about almost falling for a fake Google listing. The tone is appropriately friendly and informal for a general training email. All parts of the prompt are addressed adequately, and the ideas are logically developed throughout the letter, earning a solid band score for this criterion.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The email has a clear overall progression and is structured into appropriate paragraphs, starting with a friendly greeting and opening remarks, followed by body paragraphs addressing the prompt requirements, and concluding with a standard sign-off. Cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'Moreover', 'On the other hand', and 'In addition' are used to connect ideas, though some transitions feel a bit mechanical or slightly unnatural in a conversational context (e.g., 'On the other hand' used when not presenting a contrasting argument). Paragraphing is sufficient, and referencing is generally clear, allowing the reader to follow the writer's narrative and advice without difficulty.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully communicating everyday concepts related to university housing and student life. There are several attempts to use less common vocabulary and phrases, such as 'further education', 'success office', and 'fraud', but these are occasionally affected by word choice or collocation errors, for instance writing 'success office' instead of 'student services' or 'accommodation office'. Spelling is mostly accurate, with a minor slip in 'accomodation'. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning, some expressions remain basic or slightly imprecise.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over grammar. However, there are several noticeable grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include tense issues ('when I was studied I live' instead of 'when I was studying I lived'), preposition errors ('search from google' instead of 'search on Google'), and missing articles. Additionally, there are structural awkwardness and run-on tendencies in sentences like 'you just need to tell them you are looking accommodation and they just need your photo id and you will get your room or apartment'. While these errors do not impede overall communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the score from reaching a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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