Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-05

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 Rohan,

Hello! How are you? I hope you are doing well. I am writing this to share my thoughts regarding the advice you asked me when we met recently.

I strongly believe that instead of going to college, it is better for you to get a job. However, I am already familiar with your financial condition. Therefore, I know it would be very difficult for you to manage all the expenses of college.

Adding to this, getting a job is the most suitable pathway for you because it can help your family to manage the expenses. I also remember that your family is planning to renovate your house as it becomes difficult for you to live there during rainy season. Consequently, in my opinion you should lend a hand to your father instead of wasting money in college.

Furthermore I also searched jobs for you on linkedin and Indeed. I found suitable jobs that could interest you like an assistant manager in a private bank, a professor of mathematics for high school. I will share you the links if you want to have a look on the jobs. I just want to say that this is very crucial decision for you and your family. So, choose wisely.

I am looking forward to hearing from you soon.

See you soon.

Yours lovingly,

Kunwar

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task effectively. You clearly state your preference for employment over college, explain the financial reasoning behind this, and provide specific job suggestions. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend. To reach a higher band, ensure that your arguments are fully developed; for instance, while you mention the financial burden of college, you could briefly contrast this with the immediate benefit of earning a salary to make your argument more persuasive. Overall, the response is well-focused and meets all requirements of the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. You use cohesive devices such as 'Adding to this,' 'Consequently,' and 'Furthermore' to link your ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive. For example, 'Adding to this' and 'Furthermore' are used in a similar way. To improve, try to vary your linking phrases and ensure that the progression between sentences is smoother. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different points requested in the prompt, 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 'renovate,' 'crucial,' and 'pathway' correctly. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'share you the links' (should be 'share the links with you') and 'as it becomes difficult' (should be 'as it has become difficult'). While you successfully convey your message, the vocabulary is generally functional rather than sophisticated. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and idiomatic expressions suitable for an informal letter to a friend to show greater flexibility.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'I am already familiar with your financial condition' (which sounds slightly unnatural in this context) and 'I also searched jobs' (should be 'searched for jobs'). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and tense issues, such as 'as it becomes difficult' instead of the present perfect 'has become.' The errors do not impede communication, but they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and preposition usage will help improve your accuracy.

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

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