Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-07-28

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 7.0)

Dear Chuka,

I trust you are doing well. I am writing this letter to you with regards the advice you requested, weather to get a job or go to college.

I will personally tell you from my experience, that going to college at this your age is a waste of time. You are in your late forties, by the time you will finish your studies at college, age will no longer be at your favor.

In my opinion, having a decent job will be more profitable for you. I made a regrettable mistake by going to college at late age. I would have used that opportunity to learn a valuable skill or a job. And I don't want you to make the same mistake.

You are a professional driver, and you have all the necessary licenses. I will suggest you focus on making a profitable profession with that. My uncle's company is currently hiring skilled drivers. It has attractive salary and I know you will do excellently well that place.

I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

Best regards,

Clement

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response addresses all three bullet points of the task. You clearly state why college is not suitable for your friend, explain the benefits of working, and suggest a specific type of job. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, and your position is consistent throughout. To reach a higher band, you could expand slightly more on the 'why' behind your advice, perhaps by contrasting the long-term financial stability of a job versus the potential debt or time commitment of college. Overall, the task is fully addressed with a clear, logical development of ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter is well-organized with clear paragraphing, which helps the reader follow your argument. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'In my opinion' and 'I am writing this letter to you with regards to', which help link your ideas. However, the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words between sentences to avoid a slightly repetitive structure. For example, connecting the sentences in the second paragraph more fluidly would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'profitable', 'endeavors', and 'professional driver'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'at this your age' (should be 'at your age') and 'age will no longer be at your favor' (should be 'in your favor'). Additionally, 'profitable profession' is slightly awkward; 'lucrative career' would be more natural. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise vocabulary to reach the higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'weather to get a job' (should be 'whether'), 'at late age' (should be 'at a late age'), and 'do excellently well that place' (missing a preposition, 'in that place'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding your message. To improve, focus on article usage (a/the) and prepositions. Increasing the frequency of error-free complex sentences will help you move toward a higher band score.

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