Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-28

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 7.0)

Dear Alex,

I hope you are doing great. I am writing in response to your letter seeking advice regarding getting professional experience or pursue further degree.

Pursuing higher degree has its own benefits in terms of qualifications but gaining professional experience is always beneficial. Going to college and then University will only help you to get a degree with some limited laboratory experience. From my understanding, I would encourage you to get a job and learn technical skills rather than just theoritical knowledge.

Getting a job helps a person develop professionally inluding learning technical skills, problem-solving techniques, working under pressure, meeting with managers/ experienced collegues and gaining confidence. Working in a professional environment will always be better than working with a bunch of inexperienced students.

You always wanted to work in a medical research laboratories. So, I would like to recommend some research laboratories such as UKRI labs, chemistry-biology laboratories and biomedical device coating laboratories in London. The best part about these labs is that there are multiple entry-level jobs available which requires no experience at all.

Apply to these jobs at your earliest convenience and I hope to meet you soon and discuss more about the jobs in person.

Best wishes,

Ashu Berwal

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response successfully covers all bullet points required by the prompt. You adopt a clear, friendly, and advisory tone appropriate for a letter to a friend. You clearly state why college might not be enjoyable by pointing out that it only offers limited laboratory experience and theoretical knowledge. You then explain why getting a job is advantageous, citing benefits such as developing technical skills, problem-solving, and gaining confidence. Finally, you suggest suitable roles in medical research laboratories in London, such as UKRI labs and biomedical device coating facilities, noting that entry-level positions are available. All parts of the task are well-developed and supported with relevant details, fulfilling the requirements for a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter is logically organised and progresses clearly from the introduction through the reasons against college, the benefits of work, specific job suggestions, and a concluding sign-off. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct points, such as the comparison between college and work in the second and third paragraphs, and the specific recommendations in the fourth paragraph. Cohesive devices are generally well managed, with appropriate referencing like 'The best part about these labs' and 'These jobs'. However, there are minor instances where transitions could be smoother, which keeps the score at this level.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for the task. Phrases like 'professional experience', 'technical skills', 'problem-solving techniques', and 'entry-level jobs' are used effectively. However, there are a few lexical inaccuracies and non-standard collocations, such as 'pursue further degree' (should be 'pursuing a further degree'), 'theoritical' (spelling error for 'theoretical'), and 'meeting with managers/ experienced collegues' (spelling error for 'colleagues' and slightly awkward collocation for informal letter writing). Despite these minor errors, the vocabulary is adequate to convey your ideas clearly and precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating a reasonable control of grammar. You successfully use complex structures such as 'I am writing in response to your letter seeking advice regarding...' and 'The best part about these labs is that there are multiple entry-level jobs available which requires...'. However, there are some grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues like 'jobs available which requires' (should be 'require'), and missing articles such as 'in response to your letter seeking advice regarding getting professional experience or pursue further degree' (should be 'pursuing a further degree'). These errors do not impede communication, but they prevent a higher band score.

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