Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-15

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 Jhon,

Hey buddy, hope this letter finds you in good health and hight spirits. I really agree that you should get a job instaed of going to the college.

Mate, these days studying the colleges have been overrated as there is a lot of crowd. The typical reason why you should not study in the institutes is that you will be bored as there is not gonna be any school frineds nor the buddies from your town.

Friend, job is a really good option for the people like us in this economy. Being on a job you can earn money which can help you to fulfill your needs and dreams. Also, you are gonna be financially independent for yourself as well as your family.

Dear, There are plenty of job available out there even we do not have really high level of education right now. You should consider some sort of skill job for now which will help you in your future as grow older and you can be more professional as you will be in it for long time.

Give my love and respect to your parents.

Best wishes,

James pattison

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The student covers all parts of the task well. The letter addresses why the recipient would not enjoy college by mentioning overcrowding and a lack of familiar friends. It also explains why getting a job is a good idea, highlighting financial independence and economic stability. Finally, it suggests a suitable type of job, specifically recommending a skill-based job for long-term professional growth. The tone is appropriately informal and friendly throughout, matching the requirements of a General Training Task 1 letter. Ideas are well-developed and supported with clear reasoning, leading to a solid Band 7.0 performance for Task Achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter demonstrates a clear logical organisation with a recognizable paragraph structure. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving smoothly from the opening and the first bullet point into financial benefits and finally job suggestions. Cohesive devices are used adequately, such as 'Also', 'Mate', and 'For now', though some transitions feel a bit conversational or repetitive in style. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, even though the spacing is slightly irregular. Overall, the writing flows logically from start to finish, supporting the reader's understanding and earning a Band 6.5.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common and informal phrases like 'financially independent', 'overrated', and 'skill job'. However, there are several lexical errors and awkward word choices, such as 'hight spirits' (instead of high spirits), 'instaed' (spelling error for instead), 'studying the colleges' (inappropriate preposition and collocation), and 'school frineds' (spelling error). While these errors do not impede overall communication, they prevent the lexical score from reaching higher bands. The vocabulary used is minimally sufficient to convey the intended meaning, matching the Band 6.0 descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at subordination and relative clauses, such as 'earn money which can help you to fulfill your needs'. However, there are several grammatical errors and awkward structures throughout the text, including 'there is not gonna be any school frineds' (subject-verb agreement error with plural noun), 'people like us in this economy', and 'even we do not have really high level of education'. Punctuation is occasionally erratic, such as capitalizing 'There' mid-sentence. Although these errors are noticeable and cause some minor friction, the majority of the sentences are understandable, supporting a Band 6.0 score.

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

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