Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-29

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 Ram,

How are you? I hope you are doing good. I am writing this letter to guide you regarding the choice of enrolling in the academic course in college or to gain practical experience by doing the job.

Since elementry school, we had studied together, and I know that you were hardly able to focus on the theoretical subjects. Therefore, I would suggest you to drop the idea of enrolling in college to gain theoretical knowledge.

However, I have observed you that your practical knowledge and handson skills such as repairing the machines, assembling and disassebling the complex mechanical parts are perfect. So it would be perfect for you to apply for a mechanic position in mechanical industry , and after gaining a rich experience in the industry you can start your own business.

I would like to hear from you at the as soon as possible .

Your friend,

Nilay Shah

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address all three points and make your recommendation clear: you advise Ram against college and suggest a mechanic role, with the possibility of starting a business later. The explanation that he struggled to focus on theoretical subjects is relevant, and your examples of repairing and assembling machinery make the job suggestion personal. This meets the task well, while some ideas are less fully developed: you could explain more specifically why college would not suit him, and why earning money or gaining workplace experience would benefit him. The job options are also quite narrow, with only a mechanic position identified. Adding one or two suitable alternatives and developing the benefits would make the advice more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter has a clear progression: you introduce the choice, explain why college may not suit Ram, recommend work, and close with a friendly sign-off. Paragraphing helps separate the main ideas, and linking words such as “Since” and “However” show the relationship between them. The overall organisation is easy to follow. To make the flow more natural, connect the job recommendation more explicitly to the benefits of working, rather than moving directly from practical skills to a mechanic position. The closing sentence, “I would like to hear from you at the as soon as possible,” is awkwardly constructed and interrupts the otherwise clear ending; a simpler, conventional closing would improve cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a relevant range of vocabulary for the topic, including “theoretical subjects,” “practical knowledge,” “assembling,” and “mechanical parts.” These choices help make the advice specific, and the reader can understand your meaning throughout. There are, however, some inaccurate or unnatural choices and spelling errors. “Doing good” is less suitable than a phrase such as “doing well,” while “handson skills” should be written as “hands-on skills.” “Disassebling” is misspelled, and “mechanical industry” is an imprecise collocation in this context. Aim for accurate, natural phrases rather than adding formal-sounding wording such as “gain a rich experience”; this will make your vocabulary more fluent and precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the sentence beginning “Since elementary school” and the clause introduced by “Therefore.” Most of the message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors affect naturalness. In “I would suggest you to drop,” use “I would suggest that you drop” or “I would advise you to drop.” The opening phrase “Since elementary school, we had studied together” needs a more suitable tense, such as “We have studied together since elementary school.” There are also article and punctuation issues in “in mechanical industry ,” and the closing phrase “at the as soon as possible” is grammatically faulty. Checking verb patterns, tense choices, and sentence endings would improve accuracy.

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

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