Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-12
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 Mathew,
Hope you're doing well. I'm writing this letter to wish you congratulations for your admission at International Business University.
As you know I have completed my Bachelors of Science at IBU, which are most learning and enjoyable experience of my life. I suggest you can get accommodation at B block building, which is 2km far away from university. I stayed there for three years and all facilities were available there at reasonable prices. You can find accommodation on the notice board of university, where tenants usually post their places information.
I strongly advice you beware from scammers. During my college times while looking for a room I got scammed by two tenants for 500$. Always keep rent transaction records in your phone. Apart from that, always try to stay away from bad members of society it can impact you life.
Hope you will do your studies diligently.
Best wishes,
Amrinder Singh
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The email addresses all three requested points: you describe staying in B Block, recommend checking the university noticeboard, and warn your friend about scams and other risks. The personal example of losing $500 makes the warning relevant and gives it some support. However, the accommodation advice is less fully developed than the description of your own experience: explain how to assess listings or contact landlords, and why the noticeboard is the best option. The warning about “bad members of society” is vague and could be made more useful by naming practical checks, such as viewing a room and confirming the rental terms. The friendly purpose and tone are clear, though the opening congratulations could be expressed more naturally.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The message has a clear overall arrangement: an opening, a paragraph about your accommodation and how to search, a warning, and a friendly closing. This makes the main points easy to locate. You also use linking expressions such as “As you know,” “Apart from that,” and “Hope you will,” which help connect the ideas. The progression is generally logical, but the second paragraph combines your university experience, a recommendation, and the noticeboard advice without clearly separating them. The warning paragraph also shifts abruptly from the scam story to avoiding “bad members of society.” To strengthen the flow, group each task point more distinctly and use a clearer transition between the personal example and practical advice.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use vocabulary relevant to the situation, including “accommodation,” “reasonable prices,” “notice board,” “tenants,” and “scammed.” The account of losing money also gives the email a personal, specific quality. However, several word choices and collocations are noticeably inaccurate or unnatural, such as “wish you congratulations,” “places information,” and “bad members of society.” These expressions make parts of the advice less precise, even though the reader can understand the general meaning. Aim for natural phrases used in housing contexts, and choose specific terms for rental risks. More accurate collocations and a little greater variety would make your vocabulary more effective and fluent.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The email includes both simple sentences and attempts at more complex structures, for example, “I stayed there for three years and all facilities were available there at reasonable prices” and the clause beginning “where tenants usually post.” Most ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical errors are noticeable. In “I have completed my Bachelors of Science … which are,” the relative clause does not agree with its reference; “I suggest you can get” also uses an awkward grammatical pattern. Other examples include “I strongly advice you beware” and “it can impact you life,” where the verb pattern and possessive form need correction. Review agreement, verb patterns after “suggest” and “advise,” and possessive pronouns. These corrections would improve accuracy while preserving your range of sentence forms.
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