Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-19

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 5.0)

Dear Laila,

I am writing to advise you studying marketing course in Ajman university that I applied before.

The course is useful because it helps you in your future career and the lecturer has high experience and uses develop skills, he related the information with the real life.

I recommend Ajman university because first of all it is near to your home and also the university provides you all the tools you need such as laptops and electronic materials. Additionally, they made a practical sessions and projects to be sure that you can apply what you learn.

I advise you to visit their website soon to book a place in this course because the places finished quickly.

Hope to hear from you soon,

Manal

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: course details, reasons for recommendation, and application advice. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum, which limits the depth of development. The ideas are presented but remain quite brief; for example, the description of the course and the application advice could be expanded with more specific details or personal anecdotes to better satisfy the task requirements. Because the response is under-length, it fails to fully develop the ideas as required for higher bands, resulting in a lower score for task achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, each focusing on one of the required points. There is a clear progression of ideas from the introduction to the advice. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat basic and repetitive (e.g., 'first of all', 'also', 'additionally'). While the paragraphing is appropriate for a letter, the transitions between sentences are occasionally mechanical. To improve, you should aim for a wider variety of linking words and ensure that the flow between sentences feels more natural and less like a list of points.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but lacks variety and sophistication. You rely on simple terms like 'useful', 'tools', and 'places'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'uses develop skills' (should be 'uses developed skills' or 'focuses on skill development') and 'they made a practical sessions' (should be 'they conduct practical sessions'). To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more precise, topic-specific vocabulary related to university studies and marketing, and ensure that your word choices are grammatically accurate in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally hinder the flow. For instance, 'I am writing to advise you studying marketing course' should be 'I am writing to advise you to study the marketing course'. Additionally, 'the places finished quickly' is unnatural; 'spots fill up quickly' would be more appropriate. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of errors in verb forms and article usage prevents a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct preposition usage will help improve your accuracy.

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

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