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)

Hi Fiza,

I hope you are doing well. I just received your letter in which you asked for my advice about whether you should enroll yourself in a college or get a job.

I would highly recommend you getting a job instead of enrolling yourself in a college. As colleges in Pakistan majorly focus on theory, while skipping the practical part. Going to college would be rather boring for you as you will not get to learn any real life skills.

Considering the education system in Pakistan, I would suggest you to opt for something that can develop your skills and give you hands-on experience. Getting a job will help you a lot in polishing your skills and developing your expertise. You will forget the theoretical knowledge you will get in college a few months after you step out of college. But your practical knowledge will stay with you forever.

You can apply for sales jobs, customer service jobs, or Medical billing jobs. All these jobs will polish your communication skills. As communication directly impacts your career and relationships, it is a major life skill. Below are some companies you can apply in for job:

1. CureMD (For Medical Billing & Customer Service)

2. One58 travels and tours (For sales)

You can use my name as reference as well. Let me know once you take a final decision. I will be waiting for your response.

Yours Sincerely,

Mahroosha

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points effectively. You clearly explain why college might be boring due to a focus on theory, provide a strong argument for the benefits of practical work experience, and suggest specific job roles. 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 personal benefits of working, such as financial independence or networking, to further develop your ideas. Overall, the response is well-focused and meets all requirements of the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, which helps the reader follow your argument easily. You use some cohesive devices like 'As', 'But', and 'Instead of' to link ideas. However, the transition between the second and third paragraph could be smoother. Additionally, the list format used for job suggestions is acceptable in a letter, but using more varied linking words or phrases to connect your sentences would improve the flow and cohesion further.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary suitable for the task, such as 'theoretical knowledge', 'hands-on experience', and 'polishing your skills'. The language is natural and appropriate for an informal yet advisory letter. There are no significant errors in word choice that impede meaning. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations or idiomatic expressions that are common in friendly correspondence. For example, instead of 'majorly focus', you could use 'primarily focus' or 'largely concentrate', as 'majorly' is often considered informal or grammatically imprecise in this context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most of your sentences are clear and error-free. There are a few minor grammatical slips, such as 'I would suggest you to opt for' (should be 'I would suggest that you opt for' or 'I would suggest opting for') and 'apply in for job' (should be 'apply for a job'). Despite these minor issues, your control over grammar is strong, and the meaning is never obscured. Increasing the variety of complex sentence structures would help elevate your score in this criterion.

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

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