Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-10

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 6.0)

Dear Shakti,

I'm writing this letter as your friend to advice that you should get a job instead of taking course in engineering.

I personally regret on decision that I've made after my three years diploma course. I elected diploma to degree course and honestly it was all repeated module that I studied in diploma resulted in waste of time to get just piece of paper. Unfortunately, after graduation I got best job and you know they also accept diploma students.

If you get a job insted taking a college course, you will have chance to earn money to support your family financially. You are good at coding language, so you can apply in IT companies, well my company is accepting resume from recent diploma student with basic knowledge.

I hope you will receive the right advice when selecting your career path. Don't worry, as I will always be there for you whenever you need my help.

Yours lovingly,

Dharmik

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You give a clear recommendation to seek work rather than study engineering, and you address all three requested points. Your personal experience explains why college may not suit Shakti: the degree repeated diploma modules and seemed like a waste of time. You also explain that employment could provide income to support the family, and suggest IT companies as a suitable option based on Shakti’s coding ability. However, the reason college would not be enjoyable is mainly implied through your own experience, and the job benefits and suitable roles are only briefly developed. Add a more direct explanation of what Shakti might dislike about college and give one or two specific job examples or reasons they fit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a clear overall sequence: you state your advice, explain your experience, describe the benefits of work, and close supportively. Paragraph breaks help distinguish these stages, and phrases such as “If you get a job” make the relationship between advice and benefit clear. Some connections are less smooth, however. The shift from your diploma experience to “Unfortunately, after graduation I got best job” is difficult to follow, and “well my company” joins two ideas awkwardly. The opening also repeats the purpose of the letter rather than leading naturally into the advice. Use clearer transitions and make the relationship between your experience and Shakti’s decision explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “diploma course,” “engineering,” “financially,” “coding language,” and “career path.” These choices make your main message understandable, and “support your family financially” is an appropriate phrase. However, several word-choice, spelling, and collocation problems reduce precision: “advice” is used where the verb “advise” is needed, “taking course” is unnatural, and “got best job” does not clearly express your meaning. There are also spelling errors such as “insted” and “resume.” Aim for more natural combinations and check spelling and word forms; this will make the letter sound more fluent and assured.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple sentences and some longer structures, including the conditional “If you get a job … you will have chance” and the relative clause “that I studied in diploma.” The message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors occur across the letter. For example, “I regret on decision” has an incorrect preposition and missing determiner, while “after my three years diploma course” needs a clearer grammatical construction. In “it was all repeated module … resulted in waste of time,” the clause structure is difficult to control, and “you will have chance” is missing an article. Practise accurate articles, prepositions, and clause construction, while keeping some of your longer sentence patterns.

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

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