Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-15

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 Stacy,

Hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter in response to your question about your decision of choosing either a job or further studies. I personally recommend you to go for a job instead of advanced studies.

As you are in your mid-30's and struggling with your finances so going for school again can make your situation worse. Moreover, you have family commitments too, so it would be hard for you to manage your schedule. Because of these reasons you might not be able to enjoy your college.

On the other hand if you go for a job, you can land a well-paid job within a month and after which you can immediately support your family and you could also get abundant opportunities to learn new technologies in the market through various corporate training.

I would suggest you to go for IT jobs such as Data Scientist, Software Developer or AI ML Engineer jobs. First of all, it was your majors before and your experience also aligned with this profile. Additionally, I have good connections in this field too so if you want me to share your resume with some reputed companies in your province, I could.

I would be more than happy to help you.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response fully addresses all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly explain why college would be difficult given the friend's age and financial situation, provide a logical argument for choosing employment, and suggest specific IT-related roles. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, and the position is consistent throughout. The ideas are well-developed and supported with relevant personal context, such as mentioning the friend's previous major and your ability to provide professional connections. This meets the requirements for a Band 8 performance as all parts of the task are covered well with relevant, extended ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each point, and a polite closing. You use cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'On the other hand', and 'Additionally' to link ideas effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different requirements of the task. The flow of information is smooth, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. While the transition between the second and third paragraphs is functional, a slightly more sophisticated use of cohesive devices could elevate the score further, but the current level is well within the Band 7-8 range.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for the context, such as 'family commitments', 'abundant opportunities', and 'reputed companies'. There is an attempt to use topic-specific terminology like 'Data Scientist' and 'AI ML Engineer'. While the vocabulary is generally accurate and natural, there are minor instances where word choice could be more precise, such as 'advanced studies' instead of 'further education' or 'higher education'. However, the range is sufficient to convey your message with precision and flexibility, and there are no errors that impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. There are some minor grammatical slips, such as 'in your mid-30's' (the apostrophe is unnecessary) and 'going for school' (should be 'going back to school'). Additionally, 'it was your majors before' is slightly awkward; 'it was your major' or 'you majored in this' would be more accurate. Despite these occasional errors, the majority of your sentences are error-free, and your control over complex structures is generally good. The punctuation is mostly correct, and the overall grammatical accuracy is strong.

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

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