Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-14

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 5.5)

Dear Mishal

I hope you are doing well, first of all congratulations for your accompliment, i was thrilled to know that you got the admission in the best university in town where i also got the chance to study two years ago.

I will try my best to help you with everthing that i know can benefit you. However, even if I guide you through the process you will have to be patient because in new place it can be difficult to adjust. My recomendation for you is that you must try to live in a shared apartment it will be cost efficient and you will not feel lonely you might get a good roomy who can keep you company otherwise it can become quite overwheling. I lived three blocks behind the university which is a 5 minutes ride through a bicycle and about 10 to 12 minutes walk, it was quite convinient for me so i believe it will be for you too. At times students make certain mistakes which cause them issues later on such as, they prefer studio apartments so that no one invades their privacy. It might be true to some extend but it can also be a problem if you have no one if you need any medical attention, I faced this issue as well. because I too chose to live alone and ended up in a shared apartment later on.

Moreover try to avoid food from the mess it is tasteless and at times expensive for it's quality. Do visit the small cafe along the roundabout they have amazing food and are less pricey, try their dumplyings they are amazing.

Cut to short I believe that you will not have much problems living their infact you will enjoy it and have an amazing experience of your life. feel free to ask me any further information, I gladly help

With Love

Minahil

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three requested points: you describe living three blocks from the university, recommend a shared apartment, and warn against choosing to live alone without considering the risks. The personal example of needing medical attention makes the warning relevant, and the friendly tone suits an email to a friend. However, the accommodation-search advice is not fully answered: you recommend what type of place to choose, but do not explain how to find one, such as using university housing services or trusted rental listings. The warning also focuses mainly on isolation and could be more practical by mentioning checks such as rent, bills, safety, or the tenancy agreement. Developing these points would make the response more complete and specific.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The email has a recognisable opening, body, and closing, and its ideas generally follow a sensible order: congratulations, accommodation advice, a warning, and local food recommendations. Personal details help connect the advice to your experience. However, several ideas are crowded into long sentences, especially the section beginning “My recomendation for you,” which combines cost, companionship, distance, and travel time. The transitions “However,” “Moreover,” and “Cut to short” do not always show the relationship between ideas clearly, and the food advice distracts from the main accommodation discussion. Use separate paragraphs for each task point and clearer links between them to create more consistent progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of vocabulary for a friendly advice email, including “cost efficient,” “invades their privacy,” “medical attention,” and “less pricey.” These choices communicate the main ideas, and the personal tone is appropriate. However, spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable, including “accompliment,” “everthing,” “recomendation,” “roomy,” and “overwheling.” Some expressions are also imprecise or unnatural, such as “got the admission” and “Cut to short.” Aim for accurate, natural collocations and check spelling carefully; for example, “roommate” is more suitable than “roomy” for a person sharing an apartment. More precise accommodation-related vocabulary would also help make the advice clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, using clauses with “because,” “even if,” and “which,” and the overall meaning is usually clear. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly in sentence boundaries and punctuation. For example, “I hope you are doing well, first of all congratulations” joins separate ideas with a comma, while “because I too chose to live alone” begins a new sentence with a lowercase letter and is awkwardly separated from the preceding sentence. There are also errors in articles and agreement, as in “a 5 minutes ride,” and the closing “I gladly help” needs a suitable verb form. Break up long sentences and proofread articles, verb forms, and punctuation to improve control.

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