Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-24

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 6.0)

Dear Mick,

I hope you are doing ok, I am writing you in response to your letter I received concerning weather to continue with college education or become a working class like myself.

There is a big gap between the schooling class and working environment. However, In my experience I think choosing to continue your education would be a waste of time if I would compare the years you would spend in school and your current age. Also, going through the college system would be a big challenge without a sponsor and that could attract you dropping or not being able to continue your education.

However. Getting a job of your choice and building up experience will enable you to gain more confidence as you prepare for your future. Also. You will gain gain skills that will sharpen your IT skills and you will be responsible going through a working environment, which would make you financially smart and build a loving family.

Furthermore, when searching for jobs, I will recommend you look at jobs that will align with your skills. I have known you to be an IT guru, so look for jobs in IT department in banks, a computer training instructor or in IT companies.

Generally, don't be deceived with chasing career at this age, get a job first and fixed your life and ensure you are financially stable before attempting to continue your career if it is still necessary.

Kind regards,

Davids

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly explain why college might not be suitable, provide a rationale for choosing work, and offer specific job suggestions. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, maintaining a consistent informal yet advisory stance throughout. The ideas are relevant and well-developed, providing a clear position that is sustained from the introduction to the conclusion. To reach a higher band, ensure that your arguments are slightly more nuanced; for instance, the link between working and 'building a loving family' is a bit tangential to the prompt's focus on career advice. Overall, you have fulfilled the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. You use some cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Also', and 'Furthermore' to link your ideas. However, there are some issues with punctuation that affect the flow; for example, 'However. Getting a job...' and 'Also. You will gain...' use full stops where commas or semicolons would be more appropriate to maintain the flow of the sentence. Additionally, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Improving the variety of your linking words and ensuring that punctuation supports the logical progression of your thoughts will help you achieve a higher score in this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'financially stable', 'align with your skills', and 'IT guru'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'weather' instead of 'whether', 'schooling class' instead of 'academic environment', and 'fixed your life' which is slightly informal and imprecise. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise vocabulary to express your ideas. Expanding your range to include more sophisticated collocations and ensuring accurate spelling will enhance your lexical score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'I am writing you in response to your letter I received concerning weather to continue' (missing 'about' and incorrect 'whether'), 'that could attract you dropping' (incorrect verb usage), and 'don't be deceived with chasing career' (missing article). Punctuation errors, particularly the misuse of full stops within sentences, are frequent. While the meaning remains clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar and sentence structure prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct preposition usage will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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