Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-12

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 Friend,

I just got your letter and it would a pleasure to help you out choosing something that concerns your future.

I think you should not consider getting yourself enrolled in college at the moment. I think the degree you have is already enough to step up into the practical world.

You told me in the past that you wanted to become financially independent and I think this is your perfect chance to bring your fashion designing into work and polish your skills; as I have seen a lot of advertisements hiring in the fashion industry.

Create some new impressing sample of you designs ; you should also consider updating your CV, do not forget to mention all the internships you did as a student and email your credentials to all the clothing brands hiring at the moment, as you know the job market is very saturated so you should start applying as soon as possible.

Kind regards,

Fatima Ahmad

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly state why college might not be the best choice, explain the benefits of working, and suggest the fashion industry as a suitable field. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend. To reach a higher band, you could further develop your ideas by providing more specific reasons why college might be unsuitable for your friend's particular situation, rather than just stating that their current degree is sufficient. Overall, the task is fully addressed with a clear position maintained throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct part of the prompt. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'as I have seen' and 'as you know', to connect ideas. However, the transition between paragraphs could be smoother. The use of paragraphing is appropriate for a letter format. To improve, try to use a wider variety of linking words or phrases to show the relationship between your arguments more explicitly, as some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'financially independent', 'practical world', and 'saturated'. There are some minor word choice issues, such as 'bring your fashion designing into work' (which should be 'put your fashion design skills to work') and 'impressing sample' (which should be 'impressive samples'). While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate that your control over collocation and word form could be more precise. Expanding your range of topic-specific vocabulary would help elevate your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'it would a pleasure' (missing 'be') and 'sample of you designs' (should be 'your'). Punctuation is generally functional, though there is a slight overuse of semicolons where a full stop or a conjunction might be more natural. The majority of your sentences are clear, and the errors do not cause difficulty for the reader. To improve, focus on proofreading for small omissions and ensuring consistent subject-verb agreement.

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

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