Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-17

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 Ashley,

I hope that you are in good health. I would like to advise you in regards to your future endeavours.

To be honest with you, I don't think enrolling in a college would be a suitable choice for you at this time. As, your life entails numerous events planned in near future. It would turn into stressful experience for you, and would deviate you from learning.

You have received Bachelors degree in computer science from one of the best college, exploring new opportunities would make the appropriate decision. Working in a tech company, will ensure you to gain industry-wide knowledge and polish your skills.

Moreover, fall is the hiring season for major companies in country. Certainly, explore employment opportunities in HCL as consultant or coding related fields. You hold credits for mule soft developer, can also apply in these positions. Additionally, Please let me know if any additional references are required, would definitely extend my hand for you.

Yours sincerely,

Neelu

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task effectively. You clearly state why college is not a good fit, explain the benefits of working, and provide specific job suggestions. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend. To reach a higher band, ensure that your arguments are slightly more developed. For instance, when mentioning why college would be a 'stressful experience,' you could briefly elaborate on the pressure of academic deadlines compared to the practical experience gained in a workplace. Overall, your position is clear and the response is well-focused on the prompt requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with clear paragraphing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, which helps the reader follow your argument easily. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Moreover' and 'Additionally' to link your ideas. However, the flow between some sentences is slightly mechanical. For example, the transition between the first and second paragraph could be smoother. To improve, try to vary your linking words and ensure that referencing (e.g., using pronouns to refer back to previously mentioned concepts) is more consistent throughout the text to improve the overall cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'endeavours,' 'industry-wide knowledge,' and 'consultant.' There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'received Bachelors degree' (should be 'a Bachelor’s degree') and 'best college' (should be 'best colleges'). While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise control over articles and pluralization. To move to a higher band, focus on using more sophisticated collocations and ensuring that your word choices are consistently natural and accurate in a professional yet friendly context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as missing articles ('in country' should be 'in the country'), incorrect verb forms ('would deviate you' should be 'would distract you'), and punctuation issues. Some sentences are slightly fragmented, such as 'As, your life entails...' which is grammatically incomplete. While these errors rarely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles will significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.

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

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