Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-03

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 Raman,

How are you? It's been ages since we've had a good chat together. I received your letter regarding my suggestion about whether higher education would be a better option or to take a job for financial stability. I would highly recommend that you go for a work opportunity.

As you know, you already completed your master's at a reputable university in London. It would be beneficial for you to work in the accounting field instead of joining college again. On top of that, you have valuable skills such as bookkeeping, software knowledge, and solid communication skills.

During our last catch-up, you told me that you need money to support your family and want to become financially stable. I think that if you go for a job opportunity, it will enhance your capabilities, and you'll get experience to kick-start your own business in the future, which will definitely assist you in becoming an accountant.

I would recommend that you apply for an office administrator or assistant position first, as a beginner. Moreover, positions like accounts payable and bookkeeper are also suitable for you.

I'm waiting for your decision; I know you'll choose career prospects over study.

With love,

Suman

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You successfully cover all parts of the prompt, addressing why your friend would not enjoy college, explaining why getting a job is a good idea, and suggesting suitable types of work. Your position is clear throughout the letter. However, some areas are slightly under-developed; for instance, the explanation of why he would not enjoy college is somewhat brief, as you mention he has already completed a master's degree but do not fully expand on the emotional or practical drawbacks of returning to an academic setting. To reach a higher level, every bullet point requires equally deep elaboration and fully extended support.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

Your letter has a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression from greeting to conclusion. You use paragraphing sufficiently and appropriately, dedicating distinct paragraphs to your recommendations and specific job suggestions. Cohesive devices are generally well managed, such as 'On top of that' and 'Moreover', which help connect your ideas smoothly. To bridge the gap towards the next band, you could aim for even more flexible and sophisticated referencing and substitution, avoiding any mechanical feel in your transitions and ensuring every sentence flows effortlessly into the next.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

You demonstrate an adequate and sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating less common lexical items such as 'financial stability', 'bookkeeping', and 'accounts payable'. Your word choices generally convey your meaning accurately, and spelling is correct throughout the response. There are only occasional limitations in style and precision. To achieve a higher score, you should incorporate a wider variety of sophisticated idiomatic phrases and less common collocations with greater flexibility and natural control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

You use a satisfactory mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating good control over your verb tenses and clause structures, such as in the sentence 'I think that if you go for a job opportunity, it will enhance your capabilities.' There are some minor errors in grammar and punctuation, but these do not impede communication. To reach the next level, you need to produce a higher frequency of error-free sentences while maintaining an even wider variety of complex grammatical structures.

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