Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-10
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 Sam,
I received you letter yesterday, which stated that you are in a dilemma whether to go to college or opt an option of a job and you need my precious advice.
Although getting into college is in trend currently however, it is not a suitable option for you because I know you don't like sitting for long hours to attend boring lectures. Additionally, I believe that it would be only theoretical knowledge rather than practical exposure.
As far as I know you, I would like to suggest you to start looking for a job which would give you real-life experience and an extra income to support your family. Recently, I came across a very fascinating job position of Data analyst at a renowned company "The Tata". I would strongly advice you to apply for it. Nonetheless, I also have a friend working at the company and will help you to refer.
Let me know when you wanna catch-up and maybe discuss in detail.
Yours Lovely,
KB
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
The response addresses all three bullet points of the prompt effectively. You clearly explain why college is unsuitable for your friend, provide a logical argument for choosing a job, and suggest a specific role. 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 'types of jobs' requirement; while you mention a Data Analyst role, providing a broader range of options or explaining why that specific field suits your friend's personality would further develop the ideas.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0
The letter is logically organized with clear paragraphing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, which helps the reader follow your argument easily. You use some cohesive devices like 'Although', 'Additionally', and 'Nonetheless' to link ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical or forced. For example, 'As far as I know you' is a bit clunky. Improving the flow between sentences by using a wider variety of linking words or referencing techniques would enhance the overall cohesion of the letter.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'dilemma', 'theoretical knowledge', and 'practical exposure'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'opt an option of a job' (which is redundant) and 'I would strongly advice' (advice is a noun; the verb is 'advise'). Additionally, 'Yours Lovely' is not a standard closing for a letter; 'Yours sincerely' or 'Best wishes' would be more natural. Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise collocations would help elevate your score.
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 slips that occur throughout the text. For instance, 'I received you letter' should be 'your letter', and 'I would like to suggest you to start' is better phrased as 'I would like to suggest that you start'. The sentence 'I also have a friend working at the company and will help you to refer' is grammatically incomplete. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and refining your use of complex sentence structures will improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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