Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-14

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 6.0)

Dear Ravi,

I hope you are doing great. I received your letter about what will be great option for you college or get a job first. I'm glad that you ask me this as I have been in this situation few year back.

I belived that choosing a job instead for going college would be wise decision right now. As you are only bread earner in your family and you already completed your graduation recently. choosing college would increase your expenses in terms of fees and travel expenses. additionaly, study course will make you engaged for almost 2 years.

Furthermore, if you choose job that will provide you financial freedom and will support you to achieve your long term goals as well. Along with job in future you could persue your studies if you want in future.

By earning experience in your field of study you could easily get higher paying job and refine your skills.

I hope my advice helps you to decide best option for you. Let me know what you

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all parts of the task well. You successfully address why your friend Ravi might not enjoy college by pointing out the financial burden of fees, travel expenses, and a two-year commitment, especially since he is the sole breadwinner. You clearly explain why getting a job is a good idea by highlighting financial freedom and long-term goals. Furthermore, you suggest suitable types of work by mentioning the benefit of gaining experience in his specific field of study. The tone is appropriately informal and friendly throughout. Although the letter cuts off abruptly at the end with an unfinished sentence, all core bullet points of the prompt are addressed with relevant and well-developed ideas, earning a solid Band 6.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter exhibits a clear overall structure with an appropriate greeting, body paragraphs addressing different aspects of the prompt, and logical sequencing of ideas. You use cohesive devices such as 'As', 'Additionally', and 'Furthermore' to connect your points. However, paragraphing is somewhat basic and the abrupt ending of the letter disrupts the natural flow and cohesion of the closing. Referencing is generally clear, but mechanical transitions and occasional punctuation issues prevent it from reaching a higher band. Overall, the organization is coherent and easy to follow, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptors.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'financial freedom', 'sole breadwinner', and 'long-term goals'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as writing 'what will be great option for you college or get a job' instead of 'whether college or a job would be a better option', and 'instead for going college' instead of 'instead of going to college'. Spelling is generally acceptable, but minor lexical inaccuracies and awkward phrasing occur throughout the text. These errors do not impede communication, placing the response firmly at Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some variety in grammatical structures. You attempt complex sentences with subordinating conjunctions like 'As you are only bread earner...' and 'if you choose job that will provide you...'. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, including missing articles ('only bread earner' instead of 'the sole breadwinner', 'choosing college' instead of 'choosing college'), incorrect prepositions ('instead for going'), and tense inconsistencies ('what will be great option'). Furthermore, the final sentence is incomplete. While these errors are frequent enough to prevent a higher score, they rarely impede overall comprehension, making Band 5.5 an accurate reflection of your grammatical control.

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

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