Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-13
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 6.5)
DEAR ANUP,
I HOPE YOU ARE DOING GREAT . I GOT YOUR LETTER AS YOU ARE CONFUSED BETWEEN GOING TO A COLLEGE OR RATHER DOING A JOB.
ACCORDING TO ME AS WE ARE IN CANADA IN SO I WOULD SUGGEST YOU TO DO A JOB AS I DON'T REALLY THINK THAT YOU WILL ENJOY THE COLLEGE AS PER I KNOW YOU LIKE TO SOCIALISE WITH PEOPLE AND HERE MAINLY ALL THE LECTURE ARE ONLINE . APART FROM THAT GETTING A JOB IS BEST AS THE FESS ARE SO EXPENSIVE HERE AND ALSO WE HAVE TO MANGAE OUR OWN EXPENSES LIKE GROCERY AND RENT AND ALL.
I WOULD SUGGEST YOU TO APPLY IN LONGTERM CARE ,HOSPITALS, RETEIREMENT HOME ETC AS I KNOW YOU HAVE DONE DIPLOMA IN PRACTICAL NURSING THERE IS A LOT NEED FOR NURSES HERE AND THE WAGE IS ALSO GOOD SO DOING A JOB AND AFTER SAVING SOME MONEY YOU CAN DO YOUR BACHELORS WOULD BE THE BEST OPTION ACCORDING TO ME.
I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU ARE SO SERIOUS ABOUT YOUR CAREER. SEE YOU SOON.
THANK YOU
PRANJAL
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
The response addresses all three bullet points of the prompt effectively. You clearly explain why college might not be enjoyable due to the online nature of lectures and your friend's social personality. You provide a logical argument for working, citing financial pressures like rent and groceries. Finally, you suggest specific, relevant job sectors such as long-term care and hospitals, leveraging your friend's background in nursing. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, and the position is consistent throughout. To reach a higher band, ensure that your arguments are slightly more developed with more specific examples or personal anecdotes to add depth to the advice.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each point, and a closing. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Apart from that' and 'As I know', which help the flow of ideas. However, the paragraphing is slightly inconsistent, and the transition between the financial argument and the job suggestions could be smoother. The use of cohesive devices is functional but occasionally repetitive. To improve, try to vary your linking words and ensure that each paragraph focuses strictly on one main idea to enhance the overall progression of your argument.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'socialise', 'practical nursing', and 'expenses'. There are some minor spelling errors, such as 'FESS' (fees), 'MANGAE' (manage), and 'RETEIREMENT' (retirement), which are distracting but do not impede communication. You rely on some basic phrasing; to achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more precise collocations and less common vocabulary related to career advice, such as 'financial burden', 'professional development', or 'gaining practical experience'. Your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly despite these slips.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'as we are in Canada in so I would suggest' (redundant 'in') and 'all the lecture are online' (subject-verb agreement). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing around commas and periods. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and proofreading for minor slips. Incorporating a wider variety of complex sentence structures, such as conditional clauses (e.g., 'If you choose to work, you will be able to...'), would help demonstrate better control and range.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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