Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-05

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 4.5)

Dear Raman,

I am writing this letter reagarding my college where I was student from 2021 to 2025. I would like to suggest some important things about nearby places.

I think you would need accomodation so you can reach out online on www.kajiji.com and [redacted phone] this is contact information you can reach out them and mention my name. they will help you out.

most importantly, you need to be aware that do not trust on people if they say i will provide this for your accomodation unless you see with your eyes. most of the time they trick you and get deposit but after they act differently

please be aware of fraud people.

thank you

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You address the accommodation topic and give a useful warning about paying a deposit before checking a property. However, the task is only partially covered: you do not describe where you lived as a student, and your recommendation is limited to one website and a phone number, without explaining how to compare or arrange accommodation. The response also contains 115 words, so it is 35 words below the required minimum. This leaves the advice and the description of your own experience underdeveloped. To improve, explain whether you lived in a dormitory, shared flat, or another type of housing, then give practical steps for searching and checking a place before paying.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The ideas are grouped in a broadly understandable order: you introduce the topic, suggest a way to search, and then give a warning. This basic organisation helps the reader follow your purpose. However, the email has no clear paragraph development, and the transition from the website to the warning is abrupt. Some linking is also awkward, as in “and 123445 this is contact information,” while “most importantly” does not fully clarify how the warning relates to the earlier recommendation. Use separate paragraphs for your student experience, search advice, and warning, and connect them with straightforward phrases such as “When I was there…” and “One important thing to avoid is…”.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use a small set of relevant words, including “accommodation,” “deposit,” and “fraud,” so the main subject is generally clear. There are also noticeable spelling and word-choice problems, such as “reagarding,” “accomodation,” and “fraud people.” Some phrases are imprecise or unnatural, including “reach out online” and “see with your eyes.” This limited range makes the advice less clear and natural in places. Build a more useful set of housing expressions, such as “search for a room,” “view the property,” “verify the landlord,” and “avoid paying a deposit in advance.” Check spelling carefully, especially for key words repeated in the email.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple sentences and longer structures, for example, “I think you would need accommodation so you can…” and the warning beginning “if they say…”. The basic message can usually be understood, but sentence structures are limited and several errors affect clarity. Examples include “where I was student,” “do not trust on people,” and “unless you see with your eyes”; these show problems with articles, verb patterns, and prepositions. The long sentence about the website and contact number also needs clearer punctuation and sentence boundaries. Practise accurate simple patterns first, then combine ideas with controlled clauses, such as “I lived in a shared flat, which was close to campus.”

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

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