Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-22

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 Karen,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing because to tell you that I think you should get a job.

First of all, you have recently received your first degree in Computer Science. In order to get your bachelor's, you spent hours studying and dedicating yourself to it. Additionally, it took a tool on your finances, because you did not receive a full scholarship. Not to forget to mention, that you were working full-time to cover your expenses, so you would not enjoy going to college right now.

When you start working full-time, you will gain financial freedom, more time for yourself and to rest. I believe this will be better for your mental health. Since will have more time for yourself, you can get to know yourself better as well as decide if another college degree is exactly what you need. If you end up deciding to take college courses, you can always do them while working so that you do not have to worry about money and rushing to graduate. Thus, giving you more room to relax and take it at your own pace.

It would be great if you could get a job to work as a mobile developer. In the past, you used to spend hours working on mobile applications. If not, you can always work as User Experience Engineer, because it allows you to collaborate with multiple teams.

Please feel free to reach out if you need help preparing for the interviews. I can help you practicing.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Best wishes,

Eve

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task effectively. You clearly explained why your friend might not enjoy further study, provided a logical argument for working, and suggested specific job roles. Your tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, maintaining a consistent, helpful position throughout. The ideas are well-developed, particularly the reasoning regarding the financial and mental toll of previous studies. To reach a higher band, ensure that all arguments are fully supported; for instance, you could have elaborated slightly more on why the specific job roles mentioned are a good fit for her personality beyond just her past experience.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, and you have used cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'Additionally', and 'Thus' to link your thoughts. However, there are minor issues with referencing and flow, such as the slightly awkward transition in the second paragraph: 'Not to forget to mention, that you were working...'. While the paragraphing is sufficient, the use of cohesive devices is occasionally a bit mechanical. Improving the variety of transitions would help the text flow more naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for the task, such as 'financial freedom', 'dedicating yourself', and 'collaborate'. There are some minor errors in collocation and word choice, such as 'it took a tool on your finances' (should be 'took a toll') and 'I can help you practicing' (should be 'help you practice'). These errors do not impede communication, but they do prevent the response from reaching the highest bands. You have a solid grasp of topic-specific language, but more precise control over idiomatic expressions and collocations would enhance your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. There are several error-free sentences, which is positive. However, there are some persistent grammatical slips, such as 'Since will have more time' (missing subject 'you') and 'I am writing because to tell you' (incorrect infinitive structure). Punctuation is generally accurate, but there are minor issues with comma usage in complex sentences. To improve, focus on proofreading for small subject-verb agreement errors and ensuring that complex sentence structures are grammatically sound. The majority of your writing is clear and easy to follow.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.