Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-02

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 Tara,

I hope you're doing well.

I got to know that you got offer from the University of Calagary, and looking for a accommodation where I have completed my graduation last year.

Last year, I was staying nearby the university. It was a small house and I was sharing that with another two friends of mine. What's more interesting is that as it was nearby to the bus stand I was able to attend my lecture in 3 minutes.

The most effective way to find a place is to look for Facebook marketplace where student post available vacancy. Apart from that I highly recommend you to join group chat and ask if anyone have place available.

Most important thing to consider before finalizing accommodation is that do visual inspection first and if not possible ask tenant to share latest visual of the stay.

I hope this might help you to short things out. if you need any further help don't hesitate to give me a shout.

Yours faithfully,

Corey Doyle

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You cover all three requested points: you describe sharing a small house near the university, suggest Facebook Marketplace and student group chats, and advise checking the property visually. These details make the email relevant and give your friend practical starting points. However, the advice about avoiding mistakes is only partly developed: visual inspection is useful, but you could also warn against paying before viewing, overlooking bills or transport costs, or failing to check the tenancy terms. The accommodation description is clear but brief, and the recommendation could explain how to verify listings. Developing these points with one or two specific details would make the response more complete and persuasive.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The email has a clear overall arrangement: an opening, a paragraph about your former accommodation, advice on searching, a warning, and a friendly closing. Linking phrases such as “What’s more” and “Apart from that” help show how ideas relate, and the reader can follow the progression without difficulty. This is a solid, coherent structure. To make the connections more natural and flexible, avoid relying on formulaic transitions and link the warning more explicitly to the search advice—for example, explain that a viewing helps confirm a listing is genuine. The closing sentence also begins with a lowercase “if” after a full stop, which slightly interrupts the presentation.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the main points, including “sharing,” “available vacancy,” “visual inspection,” and “finalizing accommodation.” The language is generally understandable, and phrases such as “give me a shout” create a friendly tone. However, several word choices and collocations are noticeably inaccurate or unnatural, including “got offer,” “nearby to the bus stand,” “latest visual of the stay,” and “short things out.” These can make the reader pause, even though the intended meaning is usually recoverable. Aim for more natural housing-related expressions and check spelling and word forms, such as the university name and “accommodation.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more developed sentence forms, and most ideas remain understandable. For example, the sentence beginning “The most effective way to find a place” combines a recommendation with supporting detail. However, errors in articles, verb forms, agreement, and sentence construction are frequent enough to limit accuracy: “you got offer” needs an article, “I got to know that you got offer … and looking” has an incomplete parallel structure, and “if anyone have place available” has agreement and article errors. “I was staying” is also less suitable than a simple past form for describing a completed period. Practise checking each sentence for a clear subject and verb, then review articles and agreement.

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