Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-02
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 5.0)
Dear Ho,
I am writing this today to provide you with all the crucial information regarding your moving to Calgary university wich is located in Calgary itself. For accomodation, I strongly suggest you to livve in downtown of the city. As, I used to live there and it is a centre of the city. Downtown is the best place from where you can commute all over the city esily because it is connected through tram all over the city. I know It's been 3 years I moved back here, so, It can be well developed now.
Let me explain my situation, I used to live with my friend which help me to save time for household chores and rent at the same time. When I started searching initially for the first time, I used whatsapp and facebook groups because people generally post there and easy to find suitable one.
I hope this information will help you find suitable accomodation and let me know if you need more help.
Best regards,
Ravi
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0
The response addresses the task only partially, resulting in a lower score for this criterion. While the writer mentions where they lived ('in downtown of the city' with a friend) and recommends a search method ('whatsapp and facebook groups'), the coverage of all bullet points is limited and under-developed. Crucially, the third bullet point regarding a warning about mistakes students make when choosing accommodation is entirely missed, as the email only offers a vague remark about development. Ideas lack proper extension, leaving the purpose of the communication partially fulfilled.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
There is some basic organisation in the email, with an appropriate opening and closing, but the response lacks clear overall progression. Paragraphing is present, yet ideas within paragraphs feel disjointed due to abrupt transitions, such as jumping from commuting to past personal situations. Cohesive devices are minimal, mechanical, or somewhat repetitive, with referencing that is not always clear, as seen in the phrase 'it can be well developed now'. To reach a higher level, the writer needs to group ideas more logically and use a wider range of cohesive links to guide the reader smoothly through the text.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate to convey basic meaning. There are noticeable errors in spelling, word choice, and collocation, such as 'wich' instead of 'which', 'accomodation' with double 'c' and one 'm', and 'livve'. Phrases like 'centre of the city' and 'household chores' show an attempt at common vocabulary, but the persistent spelling and minor word-choice errors cause some difficulty for the reader. To improve, the student should expand their range of vocabulary, pay closer attention to spelling conventions, and ensure more natural collocations when describing everyday situations.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The text displays a limited range of sentence structures, relying heavily on simple sentences alongside a few faulty attempts at complex forms. There are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with prepositions, articles, and verb patterns, such as 'suggest you to livve' instead of 'suggest that you live' or 'suggest living', and missing articles in 'connected through tram'. Punctuation is basic, and sentences like 'As, I used to live there and it is a centre of the city' demonstrate poor clause connection. These frequent errors can cause occasional difficulty for the reader, fitting the profile of this band level well.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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