Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-04

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 Zendaya,

How are you doing? I hope you are fine? I received your previous letter about seeking my advice on if to go to college or to get a job. I am writing this letter to advise you to get a job, but the decision still lies with you.

As a result of your family's financial constraint, I think going to college will be a huge burden on you. In your previous letter, you told me how your father who is the primary provider in your family, is sick with cancer. College requires a lot of expenses, from the tuition fee to the prices of academic materials and the hostel accommodation. The inability to sort out these bills in due time, will result in your distraction and may cause you to fail.

Getting a job will be a better choice. Your family needs assistance in paying your father's hospital bills. Radiotherapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy is very expensive and as such, only your mother cannot handle the cost. She will need help from you and your siblings. This will help reduce your family's financial burden and give your father a chance for survival.

I remember you have good computer skills while we were in high school. I will suggest you work for a computer cafe. This will allow you put your computer skills to good use. With all the experiences you can get, you can also open your own cafe later on.

I do hope you make the right decision that will be beneficial to your family. See you soon!

Yours sincerely,

Abigail

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

You have fully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. Your position is clear from the beginning, and you provide logical, well-developed reasons for your advice. The explanation regarding the financial burden of college and the specific medical needs of your friend's father provides a strong, empathetic context. You also offer a relevant suggestion for employment based on the friend's existing skills. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, and the content is consistently relevant to the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is well-organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph focuses on a single main idea, which helps the reader follow your argument easily. You use cohesive devices such as 'As a result of,' 'In your previous letter,' and 'As such' to link your ideas effectively. The progression of thought is logical, moving from the problem (college costs) to the solution (getting a job) and finally to a specific recommendation. Paragraphing is used appropriately throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary that is appropriate for the context of the letter. Phrases like 'financial constraint,' 'primary provider,' and 'hostel accommodation' are used accurately. There is a slight issue with collocation in the phrase 'prices of academic materials' (costs is more natural) and 'computer cafe' (often referred to as an internet cafe or IT support role). However, these minor inaccuracies do not impede communication. You successfully use topic-specific vocabulary related to finance and health, which enhances the quality of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. While there are a few minor grammatical slips, such as 'Radiotherapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy is very expensive' (should be 'are') and 'allow you put' (should be 'allow you to put'), the majority of your sentences are error-free. Your control over punctuation and sentence construction is generally strong, and your meaning is always clear. The errors present are non-systematic and do not interfere with the reader's understanding of your message.

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

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