Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-28

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 Monica,

How've you been? I'll try to suggest you the best option as you've asked me whether to go to college or start a job. To be honest, embarking on the job search would be a win win for you.

You won't feel like going to the college as you may find it too boring. As someone who has already gone through this phase, I'll quote that college studies take up most of your time which results in all kinds of delay in your life, especially career.

So, we're left with the job option and I really think that's gonna work out for you. Getting a job in this economy will help you saving some bucks and most importantly you could finally think of getting that dream camera of yours.

There are plenty of job opportunities lurking around in the market these days. But, I'd like to mention that a few days ago I stumbled upon a gas station night shift job listing and I believe you may find it highly suitable for you as I know you go to your grandma house to help her with the day-time chores.

I'll wait for your thoughts on this.

All the best,

Mohdeep

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address all three points and make your recommendation clear: “embarking on the job search would be a win win for you.” The reasons are relevant and personal, especially the chance to save for the camera and the connection between a night-shift role and helping your grandmother during the day. The explanation of why Monica would not enjoy college is less fully supported: saying it may be “too boring” and delay her career is quite general, and the job advice focuses on only one specific vacancy. To strengthen the letter, explain more precisely why college would not suit her interests or circumstances, and offer another suitable job type with a reason. The friendly opening and closing also fit the purpose well.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall progression: you introduce the choice, discuss college, recommend work, give a job example, and close naturally. Paragraphing helps distinguish these stages, and links such as “So” make the shift to your recommendation easy to follow. This gives the response a coherent structure, though some transitions are a little mechanical, particularly “So, we're left with the job option.” The reference in “as I know you go to your grandma house” is understandable, but the connection between her daytime chores and a night shift could be made more explicit. For a more flexible flow, use transitions that show the relationship between ideas and connect each reason directly to Monica’s circumstances.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a friendly advice letter, including “embarking on the job search,” “career,” “job opportunities,” and “suitable.” The personal details make the message engaging, and the meaning remains clear. However, some informal or imprecise expressions limit the range and control: “win win,” “saving some bucks,” and “lurking around in the market” are not the most natural choices in this context. There are also collocation and word-form issues, such as “getting a job … will help you saving.” Aim for natural, precise phrasing while retaining the friendly tone—for example, describe jobs as “available” rather than “lurking,” and say that work could help her “save money.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including the conditional “as you may find it too boring” and the longer sentence explaining why the night shift could suit Monica. Most ideas are easy to understand, and punctuation generally supports the letter’s meaning. Some grammatical errors remain, however. In “will help you saving,” use “will help you save”; “your grandma house” needs a possessive form (“your grandma’s house”); and “you could finally think of getting” would be more consistent with the preceding “will help” as “you can finally think about getting.” These errors do not prevent communication, but checking verb patterns, possessives, and consistency in modal verbs would improve accuracy while preserving your sentence variety.

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

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