Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-22
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 Sam ,
I hope you are doing well and all your family is also doing well .This letter raised the concern about one advice from you . Actually I want to know more about the course which you did last year in the Norquest College . I just want to know about the annual fee and benefits of taking this course of Health Care Aide .I just took the one year program in the Norquest College and college campus was also very good and the faculty was also very well educated . The annual fees is near about 22 dollars . To apply this course you can also apply online from the college official website and it will tell all the steps one by one and if you need any help regarding this you can also visit college and Student Advisor will help you .I appreciate a lot and if you need any help feel free to reach me .
Kind Regards ,
Manjot .
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses all three bullet points of the task: describing the course, recommending the university, and providing application advice. However, the content is somewhat confused. The prompt asks you to write to a friend who is thinking of applying, but your letter reads as if you are asking the friend for information about the course, rather than providing advice. This misunderstanding of the persona and the direction of the communication significantly impacts the task achievement. While the bullet points are technically covered, the tone and purpose are inconsistent with the instructions provided.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The letter lacks clear paragraphing, which makes the flow of information feel disjointed. While there is a basic logical progression, the transitions between sentences are often mechanical or missing. For example, the shift from asking about fees to describing your own experience is abrupt. The use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'I just' to start sentences. To improve, you should use clear paragraph breaks for each bullet point and employ a wider variety of linking words to connect your ideas more naturally.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for a basic level but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. Phrases like 'near about 22 dollars' are imprecise and unnatural. You rely on simple, repetitive language throughout the letter. There is little evidence of less common lexical items or idiomatic expressions that would make the writing sound more natural. To achieve a higher score, focus on using more descriptive adjectives and precise terminology related to university applications and course details, while avoiding repetitive sentence starters.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include incorrect article usage ('the Norquest College'), subject-verb agreement errors ('The annual fees is'), and awkward phrasing ('This letter raised the concern about one advice'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary spaces before commas and periods. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to distract the reader. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would significantly improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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