Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-10

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You recently received a letter from a friend asking for advice about whether to go to college or to try to get a job. You think he/she should get a job.

Write a letter to this friend. In your letter

• say why he/she would not enjoy going to college
• explain why getting a job is a good idea for him/her
• suggest types of job that would be suitable for him/her

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ................. ,

Student answer (Band 6.5)

Dear jonh,

Hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to guide you on whether to pursue further studies or start working. In my opinion, your family is going through a hard time due to financial losses. I don't think that under such circumstances you can enjoy your college life and concentrate on your studies. Not only this, it is a time to help your parents and support them . Apart from this, you can get a valuable experience that is going to help you in future for pursuing a master's.

Based on our current studies, you have many options for working in clinics and hospitals. The various jobs include physiotherapist assistant, research coordinator, as well as front desk jobs, which are options to earn experience as well good money .

I hope you understand the current situation of your parents and try to focus on earning instead of spending money on further studies. You can enroll in it later after catching up with time and can give your best in studies.

Thanks and regards

karam

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

Your position is clear from the start: you recommend working rather than going to college. You address all three points by explaining that financial pressure may make college difficult to enjoy, describing work as a way to support the family and gain experience, and suggesting clinic or hospital roles such as physiotherapy assistant and research coordinator. These ideas are relevant and supported with reasons, which makes the letter purposeful. To strengthen the response further, develop the suitability of the suggested jobs: for example, explain how they connect to your friend’s studies, interests, or skills. The reason your friend might not enjoy college could also be made more personal and specific, rather than relying mainly on the family’s financial situation.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall progression: you introduce your advice, explain why college may be difficult, present work options, and close by encouraging your friend to study later. Paragraphing helps distinguish these stages, and linking expressions such as “Apart from this” and “Based on our current studies” guide the reader through the points. Some connections are less smooth or precise, however. “Not only this” does not clearly signal the relationship between financial pressure and helping the parents, while “Apart from this” introduces gaining experience without a strong transition. The closing repeats the idea of earning instead of studying. More natural links and a less repetitive conclusion would make the cohesion more flexible and polished.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the purpose, including “financial losses,” “valuable experience,” “research coordinator,” and “pursuing a master’s.” These choices communicate the main ideas clearly, and the job examples add useful specificity. There are some awkward or imprecise expressions, though: “guide you on whether” is less natural than “advise you on whether,” and “earn experience” is not the usual collocation. “Catching up with time” is also unclear in this context. Check spelling and presentation in the greeting and sign-off, including “jonh,” and avoid unnecessary spaces before punctuation. More accurate collocations and a few more precise descriptions of the suggested roles would improve the naturalness of the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including the conditional idea in “under such circumstances you can enjoy your college life” and the relative clause “that is going to help you in future.” Most sentences remain understandable, and the grammar does not prevent the reader from following your advice. Some errors in sentence construction and punctuation remain. In “as well good money,” the structure is incomplete; use “as well as earning good money.” The sentence beginning “Not only this” would need a clearer grammatical continuation, such as “Not only would college be difficult, but you would also be unable to help your parents as much.” There are also inconsistent spaces before full stops. Aim for more consistently complete, well-controlled complex sentences.

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