Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-21

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 Mohit,

I am writing this letter to reply your message asking about my future. In my opinion, I think you should try to get a job intsetad of going to college.

Firstly, I believe you would not enjoy college beacause it requires a lot of reading and sitting lectures every day.As i

Know you prefer practical things,studying from books to another three or four years might make you feel very bored and stressed.

On the other hand, getting a job is a very good idea for you right now.it will help you earn your own money and beacome independent. Moreover you can gain real work experience which is highly valued by companies nowadays, rather than just learning theories.

I suggest you look for retail jobs like a sales assistant in a shopping mall,or a customer service role. These positions are suitable for you because you have great communication skills and love taking to people.

Let me know what you decide.

Best wishes,

Sanket

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task prompt in a clear and appropriate letter format. Sanket adopts a friendly and advisory tone, explicitly stating why Mohit would not enjoy college due to heavy reading and lectures, explaining why getting a job fosters independence and real-world experience, and suggesting specific retail and customer service jobs suited to his communication skills. The position is maintained consistently throughout the text. All bullet points are well-developed and relevant, demonstrating an effective approach to General Training Task 1. The response meets all criteria for a Band 7.0 performance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter exhibits clear logical organisation and progression. The progression from the opening to the discussion of college, the counter-argument for a job, specific suggestions, and the polite sign-off flows naturally. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas, such as paragraph two focusing on college and paragraph three focusing on employment benefits. Cohesive devices are handled adequately with words like 'Firstly', 'On the other hand', and 'Moreover', though referencing and spacing show some mechanical features, such as minor punctuation spacing errors ('every day.As i', 'right now.it'). Overall, the cohesion supports the communicative purpose effectively, aligning with a Band 7.0 score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

Sanket demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey precise meaning with some flexibility. Expressions such as 'practical things', 'gain real work experience', and 'communication skills' are deployed effectively. There are a few spelling and typographical errors, such as 'intsetad' instead of instead and 'beacause' instead of because, as well as a slight typo 'taking' instead of 'talking'. However, these vocabulary and spelling slips do not impede communication. The use of less common items like 'independent', 'theories', and 'customer service role' justifies a Band 6.5 score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and conditional-like reasoning successfully (e.g., 'I believe you would not enjoy college beacause it requires a lot of reading and sitting lectures every day' and 'suggest you look for retail jobs like a sales assistant in a shopping mall, or a customer service role'). There are some minor grammatical errors and punctuation issues, such as missing capitalization ('As i Know'), missing articles ('reply your message'), and punctuation spacing errors. Despite these occasional lapses, the majority of sentences are clear and grammatical structures are well-controlled, supporting a Band 6.5 rating.

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

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