Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-16

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 Joey,

Hopefully, you and your family are in great spirits! I'm so sorry for not being in touch lately, but I wanted to make up for it now by responding to your letter regarding my advice.

Since you have completed the bachelors degree, I think that you'll not enjoy too much in your further studies, because you'll have financial burden while studying and also you need to have a new friend circle at college as your old friends will be busy in their career

If i'm not wrong, you are planning to run your own business in the field of web development. So, entering into the industry at this stage will help you to gain the basic experience that can help you in the future.

I'm not sure if I have mentioned this before, but my employer is actively looking for a fresher and you'll be the perfect choice for him. On top of that, as you have completed bachelors' in computer, the web developer position will suits you perfectly.

Give my love to your family. Do get back to me whenever you get a chance. Can't wait to see you soon!

Cheers,

Anshu

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response successfully addresses all three bullet points of the task. You clearly state why college might be unsuitable due to financial burdens and social changes, explain the benefits of gaining industry experience, and suggest a specific role in web development. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend. To reach a higher band, you could further develop the ideas by providing more specific details about the 'financial burden' or elaborating on how the 'basic experience' gained now would specifically benefit his long-term career goals. Overall, the response is well-focused and meets the requirements of the prompt effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organised with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, which helps the reader follow your argument easily. You use some cohesive devices like 'Since', 'If I'm not wrong', and 'On top of that' to link ideas. However, the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother. Additionally, some sentences are slightly disjointed, such as the final sentence of the second paragraph. Improving the variety of linking words would enhance the flow and help you achieve a higher score in this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. Phrases like 'in great spirits', 'financial burden', and 'actively looking for a fresher' are used appropriately. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'completed the bachelors degree' (should be 'a bachelor's degree') and 'will suits you' (should be 'will suit you'). While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, it is somewhat functional. To improve, try to incorporate more precise or sophisticated collocations related to career advice and academic choices to show a greater degree of flexibility and precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors that persist. For example, 'you'll not enjoy too much in your further studies' is slightly unnatural, and there are missing articles (e.g., 'completed bachelors' in computer'). Additionally, there is a punctuation error in 'bachelors'' and a subject-verb agreement error in 'the web developer position will suits you'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for small articles and verb forms will help improve your accuracy.

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

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