Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-26
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 John,
Hope you are doing well, I am also. I am writing to express my concern regarding to your addmission in university. I would like to suggest you please take the same course which I did. I hopw you will understand my
recommendation.
Dear Friend, You know when I was kid I wanted to beceme a website developer, and my parents also helped me to choose this course. However on that time there was so many courses availabe but I choose this course. Therefore I get a good job and It was great decision of my life.
So, I would express about university, It has a hude building also, it has a substantial parking area. Furthermore, the faculty of this univertisy is really experienced. IT department has a lot of computer labs which is really eye catching.
Now I would to tell you regarding the application process. You will go to the website and check the addmission form then you will download it and you can apply online esasily.
Best wishes for you,
Yours faithfully,
Ali
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
You have addressed all three bullet points required by the task: describing the course, recommending the university, and explaining the application process. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the description of the course is quite brief, and the advice on the application process is generic. To improve, try to provide more specific details about the course content or personal insights into why the university is a good choice, rather than focusing on physical attributes like the building or parking. The tone is generally appropriate for a letter to a friend, though the closing 'Yours faithfully' is incorrect for a friend; 'Best wishes' or 'Warmly' would be more suitable.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The letter is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some basic cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'However', and 'Therefore'. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the transition between the introduction and the body paragraphs is slightly abrupt. The use of 'Dear Friend' in the middle of the letter is confusing and disrupts the logical progression. To improve, focus on using a wider range of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus that connects smoothly to the next.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there are several spelling errors ('addmission', 'hopw', 'beceme', 'availabe', 'hude', 'univertisy', 'esasily') that occasionally distract the reader. You attempt to use some descriptive language, such as 'eye catching' and 'substantial', which is positive. However, the range is somewhat limited, and some word choices are slightly unnatural or imprecise. To reach a higher band, focus on accuracy in spelling and try to incorporate more varied vocabulary related to academic experiences and advice-giving, while ensuring that your word choices are contextually appropriate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'I am also' (which is unnatural), 'regarding to your addmission', 'on that time', and 'I would express about university'. There are also issues with verb tense consistency and article usage. While these errors do not completely prevent communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. To improve, pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement, correct preposition usage, and ensure that your sentence structures are grammatically sound.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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