Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-04

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 6.0)

Dear Param,

I hope you are doing fabulous, Congratulations on your school graduation. I wish you all the best for future adventures. I just received your letter and I am glad that you gave me opportunity to help you decide whether to get a job or join college. In my opinion, I will suggest you to find a job as before going to college you need to be financially stable. Earning by yourself can make your life weigh more easier. On top of that, you can support your family as well. On the other hand, going to college at this point can make you stressful if you are not stable financially. Because you just completed you school with medical admin clerk I would suggest you to apply for clerical associate in hospitals. I have a good friend working in Georgetown hospital maybe he can help you with it. Please let me know what you think about it.

Thank you.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: it explains why college might be stressful, why a job is beneficial, and suggests a specific role. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat thin. For instance, the reason why college would be 'stressful' is limited to financial instability, and the suggestion of a 'clerical associate' role is brief. To reach a higher band, you should expand on the personal benefits of working, such as gaining professional experience or networking, rather than focusing solely on finances. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, and the position is clear throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized, moving from the greeting to the advice and the specific recommendation. You use some cohesive devices like 'On top of that' and 'On the other hand' to link ideas. However, the paragraphing is non-existent; the entire body of the letter is one block of text. To improve, you should use clear paragraph breaks to separate the introduction, the main body points, and the conclusion. Additionally, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother with more varied linking words.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your message clearly. You use some relevant terms like 'financially stable' and 'clerical associate'. However, there are some awkward phrasings, such as 'make your life weigh more easier' (which is grammatically incorrect and uses 'weigh' incorrectly) and 'completed you school'. The range is somewhat limited, relying on fairly basic descriptors. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and avoid repetitive structures. Expanding your range of adjectives and adverbs would also help demonstrate a higher level of lexical control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors that occasionally hinder the flow. For example, 'I will suggest you to find' should be 'I would suggest that you find', and 'make your life weigh more easier' contains both a word choice error and a comparative error. There are also minor punctuation and article errors, such as 'completed you school' instead of 'completed your schooling'. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your meaning, they are frequent enough to keep the score in the 5.5–6.0 range.

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

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