Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-26

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 Marc,

Hope you are doing well. I am glad to hear that you are finally ready for your future.

I understand, its quite challenging for you to pursue further studies, as you are more interested in the practical side of learning. This is the reason why you was never wanted to attend the classes, when we were at school.

Starting a new job is the better option for you, which allows you to experience the professional world. This experience would be beneficial for your future, as this will helps to learn more skills such as: communication, problem solving and time management.

According to your previous studies in commerce, you should go for jobs in sectors like e-commerce or an accountant. After gathering specific experience you can also apply for white collar jobs.

I hope you will make your mind know, let me know if you need any further help, and don't forget to tell me your plans for next Saturday.

Warm wishes,

Deep

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task effectively. You clearly explain why college might not be suitable for your friend, provide a logical argument for choosing a job, and suggest specific career paths. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, and the purpose of the letter is clear throughout. To improve, you could expand slightly on the 'why' behind your suggestions to provide more depth, as some points are quite brief. However, the response is well-focused and meets all requirements of the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. 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 'This is the reason why' and 'According to your previous studies', to link ideas. To reach a higher band, try to use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that transitions between sentences feel more natural rather than mechanical. Overall, the structure is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, using terms like 'practical side of learning', 'professional world', and 'time management'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and phrasing, such as 'make your mind know' (which should be 'make up your mind') and 'an accountant' (which refers to a person rather than a sector). While these errors do not impede communication, they limit the precision of your writing. Expanding your vocabulary to include more idiomatic expressions or precise collocations would improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are several grammatical errors that persist throughout the text. For example, 'you was never wanted' is incorrect (should be 'you never wanted'), and 'this will helps' contains a subject-verb agreement error. Additionally, there are minor punctuation and phrasing issues, such as 'its' instead of 'it's'. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall fluency. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and verb tense consistency will help you improve.

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.