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 Frank,

It has been a long time since I last received a letter from you.

Regarding getting a job or going to college, I think getting a job would be best suitable for you.

Firstly, I do not think going to college would be joyful for you due to several factor. I believe that going to college would cost you a lot of money, which will be a liability for you. Moreover, you will be very stressed due to the continuous assignments and exams.

Secondly, a job would make much more sense, because you will start earning money to support your financial obligations. Additionally, a job will allow you to start building a career progression.

Thirdly, I would suggest you to apply for a call center vacancy, as it will allow you to make a good amount of money. Also, I believe that software testing would be very promising.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points in the prompt: explaining why college might not be enjoyable, why a job is a good idea, and suggesting suitable roles. Your position is clear from the beginning. However, the development of your ideas is quite brief. For instance, you mention that college would be a 'liability' and cause 'stress,' but you could have expanded on these points to provide a more personal and persuasive tone suitable for a letter to a friend. While the task requirements are met, the depth of the content is limited, which prevents a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction and three distinct body paragraphs. You have used basic cohesive devices such as 'Firstly,' 'Secondly,' and 'Thirdly' to signal the progression of your argument. While this structure is effective for clarity, it is somewhat mechanical. The flow between sentences is generally smooth, and the paragraphing is appropriate for a formal or semi-formal letter. To improve, you could incorporate a wider variety of linking words and phrases to make the transitions feel more natural and less formulaic.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task and conveys your meaning clearly. You use some relevant terms such as 'financial obligations,' 'career progression,' and 'vacancy.' However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances where word choice could be more precise. For example, 'best suitable' is slightly awkward; 'most suitable' would be more natural. Additionally, 'several factor' contains a grammatical error in number agreement. Expanding your range to include more idiomatic expressions or nuanced adjectives would help elevate your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While most of your sentences are clear, there are a few grammatical slips. For instance, 'due to several factor' should be 'due to several factors,' and 'I would suggest you to apply' is better phrased as 'I would suggest that you apply' or 'I would suggest applying.' Despite these minor errors, your meaning is never obscured, and your punctuation is generally accurate. To reach a higher band, focus on increasing the variety of complex sentence structures and ensuring subject-verb agreement.

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

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