Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-10

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 Sukh,

There was long time since we met. I am writing this letter to give you advice regarding your job or work decision.

I know that you completed your studies in automotive engineering last year, which is really good for you and now it is not worth continuing your studies because the fees and expenses are literally high which cannot be covered by your part-time job. I personally believe that you should try for a job related to your field of studies and I did research and I got many jobs related to your studies such as automotive mechanic and engineer which have competitive salary which will be a good opportunity for you to build a great future. So, I would definitely suggest you apply for these jobs and make your future secure.

I hope you think about this and give me a positive response.

Your friend,

Sukhveer Singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the task. You explain why college might not be enjoyable due to high costs, suggest that a job is a better path for financial stability, and provide specific examples of suitable roles like automotive mechanic or engineer. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation regarding why he would not enjoy college focuses almost exclusively on financial constraints rather than the academic or personal experience. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your points with more depth and provide a more personal tone suitable for a letter to a friend.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter follows a logical progression, moving from the greeting to the advice and finally the closing. However, the paragraphing is insufficient; the entire body of the letter is contained within a single paragraph. Using separate paragraphs for each bullet point would significantly improve the structure and readability. While you use some cohesive devices like 'personally believe' and 'such as', the flow between sentences can feel a bit repetitive. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring clear paragraph breaks will help you achieve a higher score in this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your ideas clearly. You use some relevant topic-specific vocabulary such as 'automotive engineering', 'competitive salary', and 'expenses'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are some awkward phrasings, such as 'There was long time since we met' (should be 'It has been a long time') and 'literally high' (which is an informal and slightly misused intensifier). To improve, try to incorporate more varied collocations and avoid overusing simple descriptors. Expanding your range of synonyms will help you express your points with more precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that persist throughout the text. For example, 'There was long time since we met' contains errors in tense and article usage. Additionally, the sentence 'I did research and I got many jobs' is a bit simplistic and could be improved with more complex subordinating conjunctions. Punctuation is generally functional, but some sentences are quite long and would benefit from better clause management. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and tense consistency will help improve your accuracy.

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

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