Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-31

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 John,

It was great to hear from you. I understand that you are trying to decide whether to go college or get a job. I think getting a job would be better choice for you.

firstly, i do not think so you enjoy going to college because you prefer practical activities rather than studying for hours. College can lead stress to you just because you have to attend classes, must complete assignments and if you live far away from college you have to travel through public transit, if you do not have your own vehicle. I know you enjoy learning by doing things , so a job might be great choice for you.

Moreover, getting a job allow you to earn more money and become independent. You could gain more work experience , learn new things like how to communicate professionally with your coworker, how to manage with your team work. so it can be helpful to understand what type of career you really want in the future.

I think you could look for a job in a restaurant, a retail store or an office. Restaurant job can be easy for you because you love to meet people and enjoy to talk with them. You could also join a retail store as you have good communication skills.

I hope my advice helps you to choose what is good and benificial for your future. Let me know what you decide.

Best wishes,

Mona

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points in the prompt effectively. You clearly state why college might not be suitable for your friend, explain the benefits of employment, and provide concrete examples of suitable jobs. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, and your position is consistent throughout the response. To reach a higher band, ensure that your explanations are slightly more nuanced; for instance, when discussing the stress of college, you could elaborate on how the specific academic pressure contrasts with your friend's preferred learning style. Overall, the task is fully addressed with relevant and well-developed ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each point, and a concluding remark. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'firstly', 'moreover', and 'so' to link your ideas. However, the flow is occasionally slightly mechanical, and some transitions could be smoother. For example, the transition between the stress of college and the benefits of a job could be improved with more sophisticated linking phrases. Paragraphing is used correctly to separate the different requirements of the task, which helps the reader follow your argument easily.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'practical activities', 'independent', and 'communication skills'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'lead stress to you' (should be 'cause you stress') and 'manage with your team work' (should be 'manage teamwork'). While you successfully convey your meaning, the vocabulary is generally functional rather than sophisticated. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing, such as using 'job' multiple times in close proximity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are several grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with subject-verb agreement ('getting a job allow you') and article usage ('go college'). Additionally, there are some punctuation and capitalization errors, such as 'firstly, i'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring consistent capitalization would significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.

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

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