Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-12

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 Jason,

I am writing in relation to the letter received to seek for advice to go to college or get a job. I personally think that it would be better for you to get a job. I noticed you was listening to podcast about successful business owner during the class. You seemed to be interested in doing business. That was one time where you came to the class without handphone, i noticed you falled asleep in the class. Hence, I will advise you to get a job to gain some experience as a foundation to go toward your own business.

I found that you always listen to property investment and share trading, may be working as a property agent would be suitable for you. Property agent is a uncapped commission job. If you are hardworking, I believe you will earn plenty of money from selling property. Then you could consider to do some share trading and property investment.

Lastly, I believe you are going to have a bright future to pursue your career. I wish you all the best.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response covers all bullet points of the task well. You successfully explain why college might not be enjoyable by pointing out that your friend fell asleep in class and seemed bored, suggesting a lack of academic interest. You clearly explain why getting a job is a good idea as a foundation for starting a business, and you suggest suitable jobs such as a property agent. The tone of the letter is appropriate for a friend, and the purpose of the communication is entirely clear from beginning to end. Overall, the task is well addressed with relevant, extended ideas, meeting the requirements for a Band 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter has a clear logical organization and progression throughout. You use appropriate paragraphing, dividing your thoughts naturally into an introduction, a body paragraph explaining the career choice, and a brief concluding sign-off. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Hence', 'Property agent is...', and 'Then you could consider', which connect your ideas reasonably well. However, some referencing is slightly repetitive or abrupt, such as the frequent use of short, sequential sentences ('That was one time', 'I noticed you falled asleep'). Overall, the cohesion is clear and manageable, fitting the Band 6.5 to 7.0 profile well.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items and industry-specific terms such as 'property investment', 'share trading', and 'uncapped commission'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and phrasing, such as 'letter received to seek for advice' (instead of 'seeking advice'), 'handphone' (a regionalism; 'smartphone' or 'mobile phone' is more standard in formal IELTS contexts), and 'do some share trading' (where 'engage in' or 'participate in' might sound more natural). These errors do not impede communication, placing your vocabulary in the Band 6.0 range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and conditional structures (e.g., 'If you are hardworking, I believe you will earn...'). However, there are several noticeable grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('You was listening' instead of 'You were listening') and incorrect verb forms ('you falled asleep' instead of 'you fell asleep'). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, their frequency prevents you from achieving a higher band. Control of basic past tense structures needs improvement.

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

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