Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-20
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)
Subject : giving advice about course at universities.
Dear raman,
I hope you are doing well.I am very excited that I completed my course last week from in university Canada west. The name of the course is early childhood which is completed in 2 years . In addition to this , the course fess is around $10,0000 of one year .
I will recommend you to do this course at university because university is the best as compared to college. University gives the details of this course in a proper way .
I think there are lot of method for taking admission in university , however visit university is good opportunity for you since you can clear everything like as either how much money and how many years course this is running
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
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 requirement, which negatively impacts the development of ideas. The information provided is quite brief; for example, the advice on how to apply is vague and lacks specific steps. To improve, you should expand on your personal experience with the course and provide more detailed, practical steps for the application process to ensure the response is fully developed and meets the length requirement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The letter is organised into short paragraphs, which is appropriate for the task. However, the flow of ideas is somewhat disjointed. While you use some cohesive devices like 'In addition to this' and 'however', the transitions between sentences feel mechanical. The paragraphing is basic, and the overall progression of ideas could be smoother. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, unified focus that connects logically to the next.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. You rely on basic terms such as 'course', 'university', and 'good'. There are also errors in word choice and formatting, such as '$10,0000' (which is an unusual number format) and 'course fess' (spelling error). To reach a higher band, you need to demonstrate a wider range of vocabulary related to education and advice-giving. Try to incorporate more precise adjectives and nouns to describe your academic experience and the application process.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains several grammatical errors that affect clarity, such as 'completed my course last week from in university Canada west' and 'there are lot of method'. There is a lack of complex sentence structures, and the punctuation is inconsistent, particularly with spacing around commas and periods. The errors in subject-verb agreement and preposition usage are frequent. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors like missing articles and incorrect verb tenses.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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