Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-15

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 Joey,

Hopefully, you and your family are in great spirits! I'm so sorry for not being in touch lately, but I wanted to make up for it now by responding to your letter about getting a job.

To be honest, as you've completed your graduation, your friends might end up the college and will start looking for a job. If you'll be thinking of going for a masters, you'll feel lonely throughout the semester.

I'm not sure if I have mentioned this before, but it's your right age to explore the job market. Not only will the job give you enough experience but it will give you also financial stability.

Anyways, I'll suggest you that do take a job related to retail category as your dream is to open your own convenience store. Plus, I have few referrals if you're interested in this category.

Give my love to your family. Do get back to me whenever you get a chance. Can't wait to see you soon!

Cheers,

Anshu

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three points and make your recommendation clear: you advise Joey to work rather than pursue a master’s degree, explain that college may feel lonely, and connect retail work to his plan to open a convenience store. The reference to having referrals also makes the advice personal and practical. However, the reason he might not enjoy college is only briefly explained, and the benefits of employment are mostly listed as “experience” and “financial stability” without showing why these matter particularly to him. Develop these points with a specific example, such as how a retail role could teach him about stock, customers, or running a business.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a clear overall arrangement: a friendly opening, advice about college, reasons to work, a job suggestion, and a warm closing. Paragraphing helps the reader follow the main points, and links such as “Not only” and “Plus” connect related ideas. Some transitions are less effective or slightly mechanical. “Anyways” does not clearly signal a new point, while “To be honest” introduces the college discussion without a strong link to the preceding sentence. The sentence about friends and college is also difficult to follow, which weakens progression. Use clearer transitions and make the relationship between each idea explicit so the advice develops smoothly from Joey’s situation to your recommendation.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a friendly advice letter, including “financial stability,” “explore the job market,” “referrals,” and “convenience store.” These choices make the topic clear and show some attempt to use more specific language. A few expressions are inaccurate or unnatural, however, such as “end up the college,” “right age,” and “retail category.” “Great spirits” is understandable but less natural in this greeting. These word-choice and collocation issues do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, but they reduce precision. Aim for more idiomatic phrases, such as “go to college,” “the right age,” and “a job in retail,” and choose wording that sounds natural in a personal letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including the conditional “If you’ll be thinking of going for a master’s” and the “Not only … but” construction. Most of the message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors affect accuracy. For example, “If you’ll be thinking” should use a present form after “if” (“If you’re thinking”), and “I’ll suggest you that do take a job” has an incorrect clause structure. The sentence about friends also needs clearer verb forms and construction. Review conditional clauses, verb patterns after “suggest,” and article use in phrases such as “a master’s.” More accurate control of these patterns would make your advice easier to read.

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