Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear Paul,

I hope you are doing well. Congraulations for the admission. I am writing to give few suggestions related to your accomodation.

First of all, at the beginning I lived in a dorm provided by the university for three months because as I am totally a newcomer to the city and anware of the places so that, it was the best option for me. Afterthat, I moved to an appartment situated at Downes Road, which is half n hour to the university.

Furthermore, there are many websites where you can see listings for the houses and you can choose according to your preferences. Marketplace is one of the most popular, also you can check Craighlist.

Although, these sites are mostly genuine but, make sure donot give any deposits before seeing the house. As, some of the students got scammed sometimes the pictures of homes posted online was entirly different when we see the actual house. One more thing always ask for rent agreement to avoid any future conflicts.

Wishing you all the success and do let me know if you need any other guidence.

Best Regards,

Tom

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three requested points: you explain that you first lived in university accommodation and later moved to a flat, recommend property-listing websites, and warn Paul about deposits, misleading photos, and rental agreements. The personal detail about being new to the city makes the accommodation choice relevant, and the advice is practical. To make the response more fully developed, explain how Paul could use the websites safely—for example, by arranging viewings or checking who is advertising the property. The warning is useful but could also identify other common selection mistakes, such as overlooking travel time or extra costs. Overall, the email fulfils its purpose clearly, with some advice expressed quite generally.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The email has a clear progression: a friendly opening, your own housing experience, recommendations, cautions, and a suitable closing. Paragraphing helps the reader distinguish these stages, and signposts such as “First of all” and “Furthermore” make the sequence easy to follow. The ideas are generally connected, especially the explanation that university housing suited you as a newcomer. However, some transitions feel mechanical, and “Although” at the start of the warning paragraph does not clearly introduce a contrast. The sentence beginning “As, some of the students…” is also awkwardly attached to the preceding point. Use linking words only when their relationship is clear, and connect the examples more smoothly to the advice.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use vocabulary suited to the topic, including “dorm,” “listings,” “preferences,” “deposits,” “scammed,” and “rent agreement.” These choices communicate the main advice and give the email a practical, personal tone. However, spelling errors and some imprecise or unnatural expressions are noticeable, including “Congraulations,” “accomodation,” “anware,” and “half n hour.” Phrases such as “give few suggestions related to your accomodation” and “the pictures of homes posted online was entirly different” could be expressed more naturally and precisely. Aim to check spelling carefully and learn common collocations for housing advice; this will make your vocabulary more accurate and fluent without needing unnecessarily advanced words.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, such as explaining why you chose a dorm and warning about online listings. The main message remains understandable, but errors in sentence construction and punctuation recur. For example, “because as I am totally a newcomer … so that” combines several linking structures incorrectly, while “Although, these sites are mostly genuine but” uses conflicting connectors. In “the pictures … was … different,” the plural subject requires a plural verb, and “when we see” does not fit the past-time account. Review clause structure, subject–verb agreement, and consistent tense use. Building shorter, accurate sentences first, then adding one clear subordinate clause, would improve control.

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

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