Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-28

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 Wem,

I hope you're doing well. It was great to got your letter and I was glad you asked me for wheater to pursue study or try to find a job. Let me share a few thoughts with you.

I believe you would not enjoy studying at college because of several reasons. Firstly, as I have been studying with you for 4 years, you always have keen interest on practical experiment. In addition, I also know about your family financial conditions, yours parents already did a lot for you so it is the time to payback by working rather than spending more money on academics.

I would recommend to get a job because after that you can support your parents financially. While working you can get hand-on experience which would be beneficial for your future. In addition, you can also develop several types of soft skills such as communication, problem-solving and team coordination.

I strongly believe you can easily get a job in a restaurant or in a cafe due to your strong communication skills. As I know you're good at cooking and in cafe you can try to make new drinks or dishes while gaining experience.

Let me know if you need my help for something else. I look forward to your response.

Best regards,

Parm

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all three bullet points of the prompt effectively. You clearly explain why college might not be the right fit, provide a logical argument for entering the workforce, and suggest specific job types. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, and the position is consistent throughout. To reach a higher band, you could expand slightly more on the 'why' behind your advice, perhaps by contrasting the long-term benefits of work experience versus the potential debt of college, which would further develop your ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is well-organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each point, and a closing. You use cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'In addition', and 'While working' to link your ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. The paragraphing is logical, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. To improve, try to vary your linking phrases and ensure that the connection between sentences is more fluid rather than relying on standard list-like connectors.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'practical experiment', 'financial conditions', and 'team coordination'. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'keen interest on' (should be 'in') and 'payback' (should be 'pay them back'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the more sophisticated or idiomatic collocations that would characterize a higher band score. Focus on using more precise verbs and natural-sounding phrases.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical slips, such as 'It was great to got your letter' (should be 'get'), 'asked me for wheater' (should be 'asked me whether'), and 'yours parents' (should be 'your'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication. To improve, pay closer attention to verb forms after 'to' and possessive pronouns. Increasing the frequency of error-free complex sentences will help you move toward a higher band.

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

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