Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-10
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
A friend of yours is thinking about applying for the same course that you did at university. He/She has asked for your advice about studying this subject. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter
- give details of the course you took at the university
- explain why you recommend the university
- give some advice about how to apply
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear .................. ,
Student answer (Band 5.5)
Dear Friend,
How are you.? I receive your letter last week which is related to choosing my course. Actually i took social service worker at university which is good for me and field job. As well as this course is in buget. Social Service worker couse is benefinical for healther jobs and as well through this course you can learn abouty society, trauma nad LGBTQ.
I recommend this university because its buget friendly and provide the scholrship to the students who get good marks in their course. the environmnet of the university is very good and it also ahve a cafeteria and library where students acan spend time with thier studies.
i will give some advice related to couse it help to get parmanent residenc in canada if you do this course. you can also check the dLI number of the university and and Make sure of their studies. i will meet you soon.
yours Friend
Prabhjot kaur
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The letter addresses all three bullet points: it describes the course, explains why the university is recommended, and provides application advice. However, the development of these ideas is quite limited. For instance, the description of the course is brief and contains several spelling errors, and the advice on applying is vague, focusing more on immigration benefits than the actual application process. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your points with more specific details and ensure the tone is consistently appropriate for a letter to a friend. The response covers the requirements, but the depth of information provided is minimal.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The letter is organised into short paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is very limited and sometimes mechanical. Phrases like 'As well as this' and 'and as well' are used repetitively and often incorrectly. There is a lack of sophisticated linking words to connect ideas smoothly. The progression of ideas is generally logical, but the transitions between sentences are often abrupt, making the text feel somewhat disjointed. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring they are used in the correct context would significantly improve the flow of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is quite basic and there are frequent spelling errors throughout the text, such as 'buget' (budget), 'couse' (course), 'benefinical' (beneficial), 'healther' (health), 'nad' (and), 'acan' (can), and 'parmanent' (permanent). These errors are noticeable and occasionally distract the reader. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the basic meaning of the letter, it lacks the range and precision required for a higher band. You should focus on proofreading your work to correct common spelling mistakes and try to incorporate more varied and accurate vocabulary related to university and academic life.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response relies heavily on simple sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors, including issues with verb tense ('I receive your letter' instead of 'I received'), article usage, and subject-verb agreement ('it also ahve' instead of 'it also has'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary periods and capitalization errors. While the meaning is generally clear despite these errors, the lack of complex structures and the high frequency of grammatical slips limit the score. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, verb tenses, and proofreading for punctuation and capitalization.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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