Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-04
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 Bharti,
I hope this letter finds you in great health and spirits. I am writing to let you know that first and foremost, I would like to bring to your notice that regarding to my study course. I took this course in the IGNOU University Delhi. I choose PHD course in English because i want to be a teacher And this course is very useful IGNOU University provide bus services and give scholarship those student who score high in this particular course. I hear about this university in TV advertisment or newspaper so i decided take a admission. I am apply this course into online a college website and suggest you also apply in online it is best for time saving and traffic congestion. Anyway, let me know if you can meet me next month. I can,t wait to catch up with you.
Looking forward to seeing you soon. I give my re
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
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 providing application advice. However, the development of these ideas is quite limited. For instance, while you mention the PhD course, you do not provide specific details about the curriculum or your experience. The advice on how to apply is also very brief. To improve, you should expand on your points by adding more descriptive details or personal anecdotes. The tone is generally appropriate for a letter to a friend, but the abrupt ending suggests the letter was not fully completed or proofread, which impacts the overall task fulfillment.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The letter lacks clear paragraphing, which makes it difficult to follow the progression of your ideas. You have used some basic cohesive devices like 'Anyway' and 'first and foremost', but the overall structure is disjointed. The transition between the course description and the application advice is abrupt. To achieve a higher band, you should organize your letter into distinct paragraphs: one for the course details, one for the university recommendation, and one for the application advice. Additionally, ensure that your sentences are linked more naturally rather than relying on simple, repetitive sentence structures.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
Your vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive. You rely on basic phrasing such as 'I took this course' and 'I choose PHD course'. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'bring to your notice that regarding to my study course' and 'take a admission'. These errors occasionally make your meaning slightly unclear. To improve, try to incorporate more specific academic or descriptive vocabulary related to university life and application processes. Expanding your range of synonyms and focusing on correct collocations will help you convey your ideas with greater precision and naturalness.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter, including issues with verb tenses ('I hear about this university'), articles ('in TV advertisment'), and sentence construction ('I am apply this course into online'). You rely heavily on simple sentence structures, and your attempts at more complex sentences often contain errors, such as the run-on sentence regarding the bus services and scholarships. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas and capitalization. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence patterns, ensuring subject-verb agreement, and proofreading for common errors like missing articles and incorrect verb forms.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.