Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-01

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 7.5)

Dear Ben,

I hope you are doing well.

I received your letter the other day, and I am writing back to you about whether you should join a college or get a job.

Since you are more of a practical person, I think you will not enjoy going to college. This is because the long study hours and the large amount of study material will make you bored quite easily.

Rather, you should try getting a job. The job market is also quite flexible, and you will be able to find a job very easily. If you are able to land a job interview and get one, you can earn a significant amount of money.

As you already have a one-year diploma in the manufacturing sector, you should try applying for a lathe machine technician. I have been scrolling Indeed and have come across a couple of job openings in industries closer to your hometown.

Good luck with your job hunt!

Kind regards,

Akshay

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response addresses all three bullet points of the prompt effectively. You clearly explain why college might not be suitable for a practical person, provide a logical argument for entering the workforce, and offer a specific, relevant job suggestion based on your friend's background. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, and the position is consistent throughout. To reach a higher band, you could further develop the ideas by providing more depth regarding the specific benefits of the job market or the long-term career prospects of the suggested role, rather than focusing primarily on the immediate financial gain.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter is well-organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each point, and a closing. The progression of ideas is logical, moving from the reasons against college to the advantages of working and finally to specific suggestions. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Since', 'This is because', 'Rather', and 'As you already have' to link your sentences and paragraphs effectively. The paragraphing is appropriate for a letter format. To improve, you could incorporate a wider variety of cohesive devices to make the transitions between sentences feel more fluid and less mechanical.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'practical person', 'flexible', 'significant amount', and 'manufacturing sector'. The language is natural and fits the context of a friendly letter. There are no significant spelling or word-choice errors that impede communication. To move into the higher bands, try to incorporate more precise or less common collocations. For instance, instead of 'get a job', you could use 'secure employment' or 'pursue a career path'. Expanding your vocabulary to include more nuanced adjectives and verbs would enhance the sophistication of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the conditional 'If you are able to land a job interview... you can earn...' and the causal 'Since you are... I think you will...'. The grammar is generally accurate, and punctuation is used correctly throughout. There are no major errors that cause confusion. To achieve a higher score, you should aim to use a wider variety of complex grammatical structures, such as passive voice or more varied subordinate clauses, while maintaining the high level of accuracy you have already demonstrated.

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