Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-30

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

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ................. ,

Student answer (Band 6.5)

Dear Malik,

I am writing this because you asked for my advice about going to college or to look for a new job. I really appreciate you asking for my suggestion and I would be grateful to assist you in this matter.

I honestly believe you should try to look a job because you have always preferred to gain hands-on and practical learning instead of sitting in long lectures and classroom.

Moreover, I remember you mentioned about financial situation of your family that they are going through difficulties times and it would be hard for them to manage expenses of your college. So, once you start working you will be financially independent and will be able to support your family in money matters.

I would suggest you to search for a job opportunity in business sector as it aligns with your education as well. You were an execellent student in business class and have acquired great knoweldge as well.

I hope to hear from you soon. Please let me know what you think.

Best wishes

Dilpreet Singh

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.5
Coherence and Cohesion7.0
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear from the start: you recommend looking for work, and you address all three requested points. You explain that college may not suit Malik because he prefers practical learning, and you connect employment to his family’s financial difficulties. You also suggest the business sector, supported by his education and ability. These relevant details meet the task well. To make the response more fully developed, explain more specifically why college lectures or study would be frustrating for him, and name one or two concrete roles—such as a sales assistant or junior business administrator—rather than only a broad sector. The advice is persuasive, but some support and job suggestions remain general.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter has a clear progression: you introduce the request, give your recommendation, explain the financial reason, suggest a field of work, and close appropriately. Paragraphing helps separate the main points, while transitions such as “Moreover” and “So” make the relationship between ideas easy to follow. The friendly opening and closing also suit the purpose. Some links could be more natural and precise: “So” is slightly abrupt before the consequence of working, and “I would suggest you to search” makes the recommendation less smooth. You could improve flow by linking the practical-learning point directly to why college would not suit Malik, then moving to the financial benefit and specific job options.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for giving personal advice, including “hands-on,” “practical learning,” “financially independent,” and “business sector.” These choices communicate the main ideas clearly, and the tone is appropriate for a friend. There are, however, some inaccurate or unnatural word combinations and spelling errors. For example, “look a job” and “manage expenses of your college” are not natural expressions, while “difficulties times” and “knoweldge” reduce accuracy. “Suggestion” and “advice” are also close in meaning, so the opening could be more concise. Aim to learn common collocations for employment and finances, and proofread spelling before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use both simple sentences and more developed structures, including the reason clause in “because you have always preferred…” and the conditional idea “once you start working…”. Meaning remains clear throughout, and the letter is generally easy to follow. Some grammatical errors persist, particularly with verb patterns, articles, and prepositions. For example, write “try to get a job” rather than “try to look a job,” and “I would suggest that you search” rather than “I would suggest you to search.” In “you mentioned about financial situation,” remove “about” and use “your financial situation.” Also check plural and article use in “lectures and classroom.” More accurate control of these patterns would strengthen the response.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.