Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-03
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 Maria,
I hope you are in good health and spirits.I just received your letter regarding that you are going to study in my university.Its been a month my study of Master's in Business Administration is completed from University Canada West.
During my study I lived in the surrey because its not too far from the university.I usually preferred to take only sky train to go to my university and its also saved my time and money .As u know nowdays its really hard to find a good room and roomate so, i just want you to take your personal room instead of living in sharing.Its ok it will be cost u around $800 but u can peacefully live there without any interruption.
If u want that i will help you to find a room fo you do not worry i will help you to arrange the room with the help of Marketplace or Facebook.
Looking forward to get a good reply from you
Yours truly,
Mansi
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0
The response addresses the task only partially. While you mention where you lived in Surrey and suggest looking for accommodation using Facebook Marketplace, your ideas are limited and under-developed. For instance, the warning about mistakes students make when choosing accommodation is rather brief and rudimentary, focusing only on avoiding sharing a room. The position is not always clearly sustained throughout the letter, and certain prompt bullet points lack sufficient extension or detailed support.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
There is some organisation in the letter, but it lacks a clear overall progression. Paragraphing is attempted, but the grouping of ideas feels somewhat disjointed, and the transitions between sentences can be abrupt. Cohesive devices are used minimally or inadequately, with repetitive linking structures like 'and' or 'so'. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, such as the pronoun use when referring back to university details or locations, leading to a mechanical flow rather than a naturally connected piece of writing.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
Your vocabulary range is limited but minimally adequate for fulfilling the task. You make noticeable errors in word choice and phrasing, such as 'regarding that you are going to study' instead of 'stating that you will study', and 'take your personal room' instead of 'rent a private room'. There are also some awkward collocations and spelling slips, such as 'roomate' and 'surrey', though these do not entirely prevent the reader from grasping your general message.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You use a limited range of structures, relying mostly on simple sentences alongside a few basic complex attempts that are often faulty. There are frequent errors in grammar, punctuation, and articles, such as 'Its been a month my study... is completed' (tense and structure issues), 'take only sky train' (missing article), and 'it will be cost u' (incorrect verb form). These frequent errors can cause some difficulty for the reader and reflect a need for better control over basic sentence mechanics.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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