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 Sara,

I hope you are in good health. I was thinking of you last night and today I received your letter. You were asking about wether to join the college or to get a job. In my honest opinion, you should try to find a job instead of getting admission in a college.

Actually, the college life seems fun from the outside but when I joined the college then I came to know that it was literally waste of money. Most of the students and tecahers does not pay attention to the studies in the college. Students mostly join college to spend some good time with their friends.

On the contrary, I would suggest you to try to get a job because you will learn more skills in this way. In the beginning, you might get a low paying job but it will help you learn skills which will help you in building your career in the future. You should search for an entry level job or some kind of internship in the beginning. Try to get a job in a well reputed company because you will learn about work ethics and protocol by joining and working in such companies.

I hope you would like my suggestion and would work upon it. Give my blessings to Uncle and Aunt.

All the best,

Ume Laila

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three points and make your recommendation clear: “you should try to find a job instead of getting admission in a college.” You give a reason for avoiding college, describe the skills and career benefits of employment, and suggest entry-level work or an internship. The advice about college is less fully developed: the claims that students and teachers do not focus on study and that college is a “waste of money” are broad, and do not explain specifically why Sara would dislike that environment. The job advice is more detailed, especially the point about learning work ethics in a reputable company. To strengthen the letter, connect your reasons more directly to Sara’s interests or circumstances and explain what kinds of entry-level roles might suit her.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall arrangement: an opening that introduces the decision, a paragraph about college, a paragraph recommending work, and a friendly closing. The progression is easy to follow, and phrases such as “On the contrary” and “In the beginning” help signal relationships between ideas. This already gives the response a coherent structure, but some linking is a little mechanical or imprecise: “On the contrary” does not quite express the contrast intended, and “because” is used repeatedly to connect reasons. The opening also moves quickly from receiving the letter to giving the recommendation. Use more natural transitions and clearer links between each reason and its consequence, while keeping the paragraphing and friendly letter format.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the advice, including relevant terms such as “entry level job,” “internship,” “building your career,” and “work ethics.” These show some range beyond basic everyday language. However, several choices are awkward or imprecise, such as “getting admission in a college,” “college life seems fun from the outside,” and “work upon it.” There are also spelling errors, including “wether” and “tecahers,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for more natural collocations and precise descriptions of suitable work, and proofread spelling. For example, you could describe college as “not a good fit for you” rather than making a general claim that it is a waste of money.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses with “because” and “which,” as in “it will help you learn skills which will help you in building your career.” Most of the message remains clear, and the recommendation is easy to understand. Some grammatical errors persist, however. In “Most of the students and tecahers does not pay attention,” the plural subject requires “do not”; “when I joined the college then I came to know” has an awkward tense and clause structure; and “I hope you would like my suggestion” would be more naturally expressed with “I hope you like my suggestion.” Review subject–verb agreement, article use, and tense consistency, and vary complex structures while checking each sentence for accuracy.

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

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