Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-15

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 Felix,

First of all, I would like to congratulate about your admission at Arizona State University for the Masters' degree in computer science. I have few recommendation on the way you should look accomodation while around for stay at places like facebook groups, marketplace and alumini associations.

When I got accepted, I started making connections with my peers at the college back home who came for this university thereby getting helpful leads to find suitable place. In this process, I got introduced to one of his friend where they were looking to rent out sharing space as one senior left after graduation. I made many friends living in the apartment in the similar course which made spending time among others enjoyable and helpful for the assignments and exams.

The one mistake some people make while finding is to stay with people having different interest, goals and priorities which makes there own purpose of pursuing greatness difficult. As they tend to miss out on some about the current trend in the pool and oppurtunities that brought into the competition. Nevertheless, the most important thing is to stay persistent, hard working, deterministic about yourself of what your mission is.

Let me know if you need any more help to setup, I will contact some of my friends who are currently working in same city nearby. Until that best of luck for your future.

Yours truly,

Alex

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three requested points: you describe sharing an apartment with students on a similar course, explain how contacts from your home college helped you find it, and warn against choosing housemates with different priorities. The personal account makes the advice relevant and friendly. However, the recommendation is not fully clear: you mention Facebook groups, Marketplace and alumni associations, but do not explain which is best or how Felix should use these sources. The warning also becomes general advice about persistence and ambition rather than specific accommodation mistakes, such as failing to check costs, location or house rules. Develop these points with practical details so each part of the task is equally clear.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The email has a recognisable structure, moving from an opening, to your student experience, to a warning and a friendly closing. Paragraphing helps separate these stages, and phrases such as “When I got accepted” and “Nevertheless” signal relationships between ideas. Some connections, however, are difficult to follow. In the second paragraph, “where they were looking to rent out sharing space” leaves it unclear who “they” refers to, while the final warning shifts abruptly from housemates to trends and opportunities. The opening also lists several search sources without developing them. Make each paragraph focus on one clear point and use pronouns and linking phrases only when their references are unmistakable.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of vocabulary for a personal email, including “helpful leads,” “suitable place,” “priorities,” and “persistent.” These choices help convey your experience and advice. However, several inaccurate or unnatural expressions reduce precision: “look accomodation,” “alumini associations,” “sharing space,” and “deterministic about yourself” do not express the intended meanings naturally. There are also spelling errors, including “oppurtunities.” Aim for familiar, accurate collocations rather than ambitious wording that is unclear. For example, describe searching for accommodation, finding a shared apartment, and staying determined. Proofreading spelling and checking word forms would make your message more fluent and reliable.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including the sentence beginning “When I got accepted,” which explains how your search developed. The overall meaning is usually recoverable, but some grammatical errors make parts harder to understand. For example, “congratulate about your admission” needs a different verb pattern, and “I have few recommendation” has article and plural errors. In “where they were looking to rent out sharing space,” the clause structure and reference are unclear; “which makes there own purpose” also has an agreement and pronoun-form problem. Practise accurate verb patterns, articles and plural nouns, and break long sentences into clearer units. This will help you retain complex structures while improving control.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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