Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

Dear Alex,

I hope this letter finds you in radiant health. I recently heard that you’re confused between studying for Master’s degree or to get a job. I believe you should focus on getting a full-time role this summer.

Firstly, I assume you won’t enjoy joining University for graduate studies as companies are focusing more on skills rather than having an advance degree. Secondly, the placement after completing an advance degree is worst than ever before. Secondly, there aren’t many outstanding Universities in our region to do further studies.

However, I believe dedicating 5-6 hours daily crafting resume, building tailored cover letters and reaching out to recruiters and hiring manager is more fruitful as we’re in summer time. I’ve been working as senior software engineer at Trend AI, and hiring season is at its peak. There are plethora of roles available in AI and software world, and I would like you to draw more attention on it.

Furthermore, I would like you to focus more on roles such as data analyst and junior software engineer.As we completed engineering together, I can praise your critical thinking and problem solving abilities. Those are the main requirements to succeed in these roles. 
 I’m attaching my colleague's contact information, he’s hiring for a data analyst role. Should you require more details the role and help with resume tailoring, please reach out to me. I’m happy to assist you.

Regards,

Neel.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The letter effectively addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly state why college might not be enjoyable, explain the benefits of entering the workforce, and provide specific job suggestions. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, and your position is consistent throughout. To reach a higher band, ensure that your arguments are fully developed; for instance, while you mention that companies focus on skills, you could briefly elaborate on how practical experience provides a competitive edge over academic theory. Overall, the response is well-focused and meets all requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with clear paragraphing. You use transition signals such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'However', and 'Furthermore' to guide the reader through your arguments. While the use of 'Secondly' twice in the second paragraph is a minor mechanical error, the overall flow remains smooth. The referencing is generally clear, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. To improve, try to vary your cohesive devices further, as some of the transitions feel slightly formulaic. Overall, the structure is coherent and supports the development of your ideas effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary, including topic-specific terms like 'tailored cover letters', 'recruiters', and 'critical thinking'. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'advance degree' (should be 'advanced degree') and 'worst than ever' (should be 'worse than ever'). Additionally, 'plethora of roles' is used correctly, but 'draw more attention on it' is slightly unnatural; 'focus on these' would be better. Despite these small slips, your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning with precision and flexibility, showing an awareness of style suitable for a professional yet friendly letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'Should you require more details... please reach out to me.' While there are some grammatical slips, such as 'confused between studying... or to get a job' (parallelism error) and 'I’ve been working as senior software engineer' (missing article), these do not impede communication. The majority of your sentences are clear and error-free. To achieve a higher band, ensure consistent use of articles and correct verb forms after prepositions or conjunctions. Your control of punctuation is generally good, contributing to the readability of the letter.

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

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