Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-23

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 Sarah,

I hope you are doing well. I got your letter regarding my opinion on to start a job or to get enrolled in the college. I think you should go for a job.

In my opinion, you already have 2 degrees so choosing study more is not a good choice. Moreover you would be stressed to pay the tuition fees.

Secondly, you are enough qualified into your field. And now would be the great time to put yourself into the job market and experience real life work. On top of that you will learn transferable skills such as, communication, confidence, stage fear, which are good for your future opportunities.

Finally as your background is in healthcare, I would strongly recommande you going into clinic, hospital, long term or nursing homes.

If you have any doubts do reach out to me. And keep me updated about what you choose.

Best Regards,

Sunita

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all three bullet points of the prompt: explaining why college is not ideal, why a job is beneficial, and suggesting suitable roles. The position is clear and consistent throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat brief. For instance, the mention of 'stage fear' as a transferable skill is slightly unclear in this context, and the explanation regarding tuition fees could be more nuanced. To reach a higher band, you should aim to expand on your points with more specific examples or deeper reasoning to ensure the reader fully understands your perspective.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'Secondly', and 'Finally' to transition between ideas. While these are effective, the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical. The paragraphing is appropriate for a letter format. To improve, try to vary your linking words and ensure that the progression of ideas feels more natural rather than relying on a list-like structure. Referencing is generally clear, and the overall arrangement of the letter is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'transferable skills' and 'job market'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'choosing study more' should be 'choosing to study more', and 'enough qualified into your field' is non-standard; 'sufficiently qualified in your field' would be more natural. Additionally, 'recommande' is a spelling error. While these errors do not impede communication, they limit the score. Using more precise collocations and ensuring correct word forms will help you achieve a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical slips, such as 'regarding my opinion on to start a job' (should be 'on starting a job') and 'you would be stressed to pay' (should be 'stressed about paying'). There are also minor punctuation and preposition errors throughout. You have a good grasp of basic structures, but you need to focus on accuracy in more complex constructions and ensure consistent verb-preposition agreement to improve your score.

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

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