Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-05

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 Sarah,

I hope this letter find you in high spirits and radiant health.

Last week I received your letter enquiring my advice about your career pathways whether to get enrolled to a college or to find a job.

First of all, I would suggest attending college in this age would not be an immense pleasure for you as all of the other students would be younger than you. You would not be able to find friends of a suitable age and you would be isolated. Also, attending college would be a financial burden for you and it would be more stressful for you.

I believe you have all the acquired skills to start a job and pursue with your career. This is the right time and starting a career at a very ealy age would give you dynamic experience and also enhance your communication and technical skills.

Lastly, I also believe you can start with being a financial analyst and accountant as you already have the qualifications and relevant background.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Best Regards,

Maria

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt, fulfilling the requirements for a general correspondence task. Maria clearly outlines why college might not be enjoyable, explains the benefits of entering the workforce, and suggests suitable professions such as a financial analyst or accountant. The purpose of the letter is evident from the beginning, and a consistent tone is maintained throughout. However, some areas remain slightly under-developed; for instance, the explanation of why college would cause financial and emotional stress lacks deeper elaboration and specific supporting details. To reach a higher level, the ideas need to be more fully extended and explored with richer context, which would bridge the gap between meeting the basic requirements and providing a fully rounded, well-supported argument.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter exhibits a coherent overall arrangement with a logical progression of ideas from the opening greeting to the final sign-off. Each body paragraph serves a distinct purpose, moving smoothly from the acknowledgement of the friend's letter to the discussion about college, the advantages of employment, and finally specific job suggestions. Cohesive devices are employed adequately, with transition markers such as 'First of all', 'Also', and 'Lastly' guiding the reader through the text. Nevertheless, the integration of these links can occasionally feel a bit mechanical. Advancing to the next tier requires more flexible and subtle referencing, ensuring that sentences flow into one another without relying on formulaic transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

Maria demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, successfully attempting less common lexical items such as 'enquiring', 'financial burden', 'dynamic experience', and 'relevant background'. The message is communicated clearly despite some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'pursue with your career' instead of 'pursue your career' and 'at this age' rather than 'at your age'. Spelling is generally accurate throughout. To achieve a higher standard, the writer would need to incorporate a wider variety of sophisticated, less common phrases with greater precision and natural stylistic control, minimizing minor lexical slips.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response makes use of a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating a reasonable command of English grammar. Examples of successful complex structures include 'I believe you have all the acquired skills to start a job and pursue with your career.' There are, however, some grammatical errors present, such as 'I hope this letter find you' (subject-verb agreement), 'get enrolled to a college' (preposition usage), and 'at a very ealy age' (spelling). These errors do not impede communication, and the meaning remains clear throughout. To move further up the scale, the writer must produce a greater proportion of error-free complex sentences and refine structural accuracy in prepositions and verb agreement.

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