IELTS General Training Writing Task 1: University Accommodation Advice
The Task:
Your friend has been offered a place on a course at the university where you studied. He/She would like your advice about finding a place to live.
Write an email to your friend. In your email:
- describe where you lived when you were a student at the university
- recommend the best way for him/her to look for accommodation
- warn him/her of mistakes students make when choosing accommodation
Write at least 150 words.
Task 1
Advertisement
Band 9 Model Answer
Dear Mark,
I was absolutely thrilled to hear that you have been offered a place on the course! You are going to have an incredible time at the university, and I am more than happy to help you figure out your living arrangements.
When I was studying there, I rented a room in a shared house in the West End district. It was a fantastic location because it was incredibly vibrant, packed with affordable cafes, and only a short, fifteen-minute bus ride directly to the main campus.
To find a good place, I highly recommend using the official Student Union housing portal on the university’s website. Landlords who list their properties there are heavily vetted by the university, so it is a much safer and more reliable option than browsing random public housing websites.
However, I must warn you about a notorious mistake that many first-year students make: signing a lease without viewing the property in person. Photographs online can be incredibly deceptive, often hiding serious issues like dampness or poor security. Please make sure you book a few nights in a hostel and view these flats physically before handing over any deposit money.
Let me know when you plan to visit, and the first coffee is on me!
Warm wishes,
Alex
💡 Why this is a Band 9 Answer:
- Task Achievement: All three bullet points are covered comprehensively and logically. The tone is perfectly informal, enthusiastic, and friendly, which is required for an email to a peer.
- Coherence & Cohesion: Paragraphs are seamlessly structured. The logical flow moves naturally from congratulations, to personal experience, to actionable advice, and finally to a crucial warning.
- Lexical Resource: Uses natural, highly appropriate vocabulary for the context (vibrant, heavily vetted, notorious mistake, deceptive, physically).
- Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Employs a superb mix of complex sentence structures flawlessly while maintaining a conversational flow (“Photographs online can be incredibly deceptive, often hiding serious issues…”).
Advertisement
IELTS General Training Writing Task 2: The Best Time in History
The Task:
Some people say that now is the best time in history to be living.
What is your opinion about this?
What other time in history would be interesting to live in?
Write at least 250 words.
Task 2
Band 9 Model Essay
It is often argued that the contemporary era is the greatest period in human history to be alive. I strongly agree with this perspective, primarily due to unprecedented advancements in healthcare and global connectivity. However, if I were compelled to choose another epoch to experience, the European Renaissance would undoubtedly be the most fascinating alternative.
The primary reason I consider the present day to be the optimal time to live is the miraculous progress of modern medicine. Merely a century ago, simple bacterial infections were frequently fatal, and child mortality rates were devastatingly high. Today, advancements such as antibiotics, vaccines, and advanced surgical techniques have drastically extended human life expectancy and eradicated numerous diseases. Furthermore, the modern era offers unparalleled access to information and global connectivity. Through the internet, individuals can instantaneously communicate across the globe, access the entirety of human knowledge, and engage in a truly globalized economy. These modern conveniences provide a quality of life and level of intellectual freedom that our ancestors could barely have imagined.
Nevertheless, human history is rich with transformative eras, and the Italian Renaissance during the 15th and 16th centuries would be a profoundly interesting time to witness firsthand. This period represented a massive cultural awakening and a departure from the intellectual darkness of the Middle Ages. Living in a city like Florence during this time would mean witnessing a spectacular explosion of artistic genius and scientific inquiry. Observing polymaths like Leonardo da Vinci or Michelangelo actively reshaping the boundaries of art, engineering, and anatomy would be an awe-inspiring experience, offering a front-row seat to a massive paradigm shift in human thought.
In conclusion, while it is tempting to romanticize the past, the current era remains the undeniably best time to live due to the profound safety and comfort provided by modern science and technology. Nonetheless, the cultural and intellectual vibrancy of the Renaissance stands out as a uniquely captivating alternative period in human history.
💡 Why this is a Band 9 Answer:
- Task Response: The essay perfectly addresses both questions. It clearly explains why today is the best time (medicine, internet) and provides a highly specific, well-justified alternative time period (the Renaissance).
- Coherence & Cohesion: The essay utilizes a highly effective four-paragraph structure. Transition phrases guide the reader effortlessly through the complex arguments (The primary reason, Furthermore, Nevertheless, In conclusion).
- Lexical Resource: Showcases an exceptional, sophisticated vocabulary suited for a historical and sociological discursive essay (unprecedented advancements, unparalleled access, cultural awakening, polymaths, paradigm shift, romanticize).
- Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Uses a wide variety of complex grammatical structures perfectly, creating a highly persuasive, authoritative, and academic tone.
Advertisement