Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)

Dear Candy,

Hope you had a great summer! I received your letter three days ago, but I haven’t had a chance to write back until now. Struggling between applying for a new job or a degree college is indeed a task.

I think a new job could be a great opportunity to strengthen your CV. I’m aware that you’d love to complete your master’s before hitting your 30s, but trust me, college can sometimes feel like nothing more than boring lectures for people like us.

A new job will not only help you financially but also provide strong skills to be prepared enough for a masters degree. There's a position available in my company for financial analyst if that might interest you. Anything that can strengthen your profile, whether it’s an entry-level position or an accounting internship, would be beneficial.

Let me know your thoughts and remember to think wisely before making a decision. Hope to hear from you soon!

Best Regards,

Neh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The letter covers all three bullet points effectively. You clearly state why college might be unsuitable, explain the benefits of working, and suggest specific job types. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, and your position is consistent throughout. To reach a higher band, you could expand slightly on the 'why' regarding college; for instance, explaining that the theoretical nature of college might not suit your friend's practical learning style would add more depth to your argument. Overall, the response is well-focused and addresses the prompt requirements thoroughly.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is well-organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. The progression of ideas is logical, moving from the dilemma to your advice and then to specific suggestions. You use cohesive devices such as 'not only... but also' and 'whether it’s... or...' effectively to link ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different points of the task. The flow is natural, and the relationship between the sentences is clear, making the letter easy to follow throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary, such as 'strengthen your CV', 'financial analyst', and 'beneficial'. The word choices are generally accurate and appropriate for the context of a friendly letter. There is a minor collocation error in the phrase 'degree college', which is not standard English; 'university' or 'postgraduate studies' would be more natural. However, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning with precision and flexibility. You successfully avoid repetition and use a variety of relevant terms related to career and education.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. For example, 'I’m aware that you’d love to complete your master’s before hitting your 30s' is a well-constructed complex sentence. There are very few grammatical errors; the writing is largely accurate. Punctuation is generally correct, and the tone remains consistent. While the range of structures is good, incorporating a few more varied sentence beginnings or more advanced conditional structures could further enhance the grammatical complexity of your writing.

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

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