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
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your email as follows:
Dear ……………,
Read the original writing alongside its overall assessment. Open a full review for criterion explanations and sentence-level feedback.
Estimated band7.0
7.0
7.0
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Response 01
191 words
Dear Kim,
First of all, let me congratulate you on your success in gaining admission to a great university where I also studied. I'd also like to thank you at the same time for having confidence in my advice in finding accommodation for you.
Of course, the best way to find accommodation at your university is to go over the daily local newspaper's “classified” section where many local residents post advertisements to rent out their flats to students. You could also try reading the “student union” notice boards where students frequently post ads to either find suitable roommates or share their flats.
By the way, you could also live in one of those single-bedroom apartments on Jenkins Avenue where I also lived as a student of that university. These single bedrooms are a bit pricey, but you would probably like them because of their calm and nice environment.
But, wherever you choose to reside, please just make sure that the flat or home, you decide to rent, has a good central heating system because that place can get really cold during the winter.
Wishing you all the best.
Warm wishes,
Minh
Estimated band7.5
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Response 02
226 words
Dear Lee,
I’m excited to learn from your letter that you’ve been offered a place at The University of London! Congratulations! I'm sure you'll enjoy studying at that university. However, finding the right place to live while you're a university student is important, so I’m glad you reached out for my advice.
When I was a student at that university, I lived in university halls of residence during my first year. It was a great way to meet new people and adjust to university life. Later, I moved into a shared house with friends, which was more affordable and gave me more independence.
For your search, I recommend starting with the university accommodation office since they often have good options, including on-campus and recommended private rentals. Websites like Rightmove, SpareRoom, and local Facebook groups are also useful for finding student houses and flats.
Be careful of common mistakes! Many students rush into signing a contract without fully checking the property. Make sure you view the place in person, check for hidden costs (like bills not being included), and read the rental agreement carefully before committing. Also, be wary of landlords who ask for large upfront deposits and always check if they are registered with a deposit protection scheme.
Let me know if you need more help, and best of luck with your move!
Warm wishes,
Jeremy
TA Task AchievementCC Coherence & CohesionLR Lexical ResourceGRA Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Your turn
Write your response.
Try the same question yourself, then compare your approach with the responses above.
Task 1 General question loaded.
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Part 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. Write at least 150 words.
