Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-23

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 Raj,

I hope this letter finds you in good health. Graduating from University of Winnipeg is always precious and choosing right subject for your future goals is vital.

We both finished our bachelor together from SDJ International College pursued major in marketing. Right after my bachelors, I did my post grad from UOW in Public Relations and Strategic Communications. I would recommend the same to you - it can really benefit for your master in Mass communications. It teaches advanced technology communication system.

Moreover, the faculty staff is one of the highly respected staff and

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, as it is significantly under-length at 96 words. Consequently, the task is only partially addressed. While you mention the course and provide a brief recommendation, the response is incomplete; it cuts off mid-sentence and fails to provide the required advice on how to apply. To improve, you must ensure all three bullet points are fully developed with sufficient detail and that the letter reaches the required length to allow for a full exploration of the topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The letter begins with a standard opening, but the lack of completion makes it difficult to assess the overall logical progression. The use of 'Moreover' is an attempt at a cohesive device, but because the text ends abruptly, the paragraphing and flow are severely compromised. To achieve a higher score, you need to ensure that ideas are linked smoothly throughout the entire letter and that the structure follows a logical sequence from the introduction to the conclusion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is generally functional but limited. Phrases like 'finished our bachelor together' and 'highly respected staff' are understandable but lack the precision and variety expected at higher bands. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'benefit for your master'. To improve, you should aim to use a wider range of vocabulary related to academic study and advice, and focus on more natural phrasing to convey your ideas more effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains several grammatical errors, such as 'Graduating from University of Winnipeg is always precious' (which is stylistically awkward) and 'pursued major in marketing' (missing an article). There is also a lack of complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequent errors and the incomplete nature of the sentences hinder the overall quality. You should focus on using articles correctly and incorporating a mix of simple and complex sentences to improve your grammatical range.

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

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