Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-14

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 Khushi,

Hopefully, you and your husband are doing great, by the grace of God. The purpose of my writing today is to inform you that you should look for a job.

Pursuing higher studies in college is not good for you at this age. Because you just got married last month, you now have more financial burdens. With studies, you can not manage everything by yourself. Therefore, college may not suit you right now.

Getting a job at this stage is beneficial for you. Because you will be financially independent and make more money with a job. You could also gain practical knowledge by working in industries. Besides this, you could save some money for your future plans.

I would suggest that you should go for some IT jobs, because you have good knowledge of computer skills and programming. Additionally, there are more career opportunities in this field to grow further.

I hope my advice will help you to decide on your career. Let me know what you decide, and I wish you all the best for your future.

Kind regards,

Kevin

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address all three points and make your recommendation clear: you advise Khushi to seek work, explain that college may be difficult alongside new financial responsibilities, and suggest IT roles based on her computer and programming skills. These are relevant, personalised reasons. The explanation of why she might not enjoy college is less fully developed, however: “at this age” is vague, and the letter focuses more on managing finances than on what she would dislike about studying. The benefits of employment are also somewhat general, such as “make more money” and “save some money.” To strengthen the response, explain more specifically why college would not suit her preferences or circumstances and connect each benefit to her situation.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter is organised clearly, with separate paragraphs for the recommendation, the drawbacks of college, the benefits of work, and suitable job types. Its progression is easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “Therefore,” “Besides this,” and “Additionally” help show relationships between ideas. The opening and closing also suit a personal letter. Some connections feel mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “Because” to begin sentences, and “Besides this” is a slightly formulaic transition. You could make the flow more natural by joining related ideas and varying how you introduce reasons. Overall, the reader can follow the advice without difficulty, and the paragraphing supports the purpose of the letter.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for giving personal advice, and phrases such as “financially independent,” “practical knowledge,” and “career opportunities” communicate relevant ideas. You also use appropriate terms for the recipient’s skills, including “computer skills and programming.” However, some wording is broad or not quite natural in context: “at this age” is imprecise, “make more money with a job” is basic, and “gain practical knowledge by working in industries” is an awkward collocation. “The purpose of my writing today is to inform you” also sounds formal and impersonal for a letter to a friend. Aim for more precise, natural phrasing and a warmer conversational register while retaining the useful topic vocabulary you already demonstrate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and more developed sentence forms, including the conditional advice “I would suggest that you should go for some IT jobs” and the reason clause “Because you just got married last month.” Most sentences are understandable, and errors do not prevent the reader from following your message. Some sentence construction and punctuation issues remain. For example, “Pursuing higher studies in college is not good for you at this age. Because…” leaves the reason as a fragment; the following “Because you will be financially independent…” is also incomplete. Join each reason to the preceding clause or use a complete construction such as “This would help you become financially independent.” More consistent control of these structures would make the letter smoother.

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