Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-22

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 Sara,

I hope you are doing well. I'm writing this letter in response to your letter requesting for guidance about whether to opt for further studies or join company for hands-on expereince.

I would recemmond you to get a job insted of going to college because working in a real-time world enable you to get a practical exeprience.

Although you will get theoratical knowledge about partiuclar subject in classroom, you will actually need implementation of it in real-life.

If you get a job then it is the best choice for you, as you will get familiar to skills such as problem-solving, team management, cooperation, good communication, and time-management. I don't think so you will learn those skills in college until and unless you enter in actuall work place.

I would suggest you some role where you can gain those qualities. For instance, work in retail company as a customer service representative or office asssistant; library associate; team memeber. These will improve your communication skills as you will get a chance to interact with customers.

I hope you foolw my guidelines and join some organization where you can gain hands-on experience. If you required any further information on how to prepare resume then please let me know.

Best regards,

Hanah

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

Hanah successfully covers all three bullet points required in the prompt. She clearly outlines why Sara might not enjoy college by contrasting theoretical classroom learning with real-life application ('working in a real-time world enable you to get a practical exeprience'). She also provides strong reasons for getting a job, highlighting essential transferable skills like problem-solving and time-management. Finally, she suggests specific and suitable job roles, such as a customer service representative and library associate. The tone of the letter is appropriately friendly and consistent throughout. Her position is fully clear and well-developed, meeting the requirements for a Band 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organised with a clear beginning, middle paragraphs addressing specific points, and a friendly sign-off. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different ideas, such as the general benefits of working versus going to college, and specific job suggestions. Cohesive devices are employed adequately (e.g., 'Although', 'If you get a job then', 'For instance'), though some linking is a bit mechanical or repetitive ('you will get'). Paragraph progression is clear throughout, earning a solid Band 7.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

Hanah demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to communicate her ideas with flexibility and precision. She successfully uses less common items and collocations suitable for a semi-formal letter, such as 'hands-on experience', 'transferable skills', 'real-time world', and 'customer service representative'. However, there are a few noticeable spelling errors ('expereince', 'recemmond', 'insted', 'exeprience', 'partiuclar', 'actuall', 'foolw') and occasional minor word-form issues ('join company'). These spelling mistakes prevent the response from reaching a higher band, placing it firmly at Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating conditional sentences ('If you get a job then it is the best choice') and subordinate clauses ('Although you will get theoratical knowledge...'). There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings present, such as 'requesting for guidance' (unnecessary preposition), 'enable you' (subject-verb agreement error with 'world'), 'enter in actuall work place', and 'If you required'. Despite these recurring minor errors, they do not impede communication, and the meaning remains clear throughout, justifying a Band 6.0.

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

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