Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-06

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)

Hi dear

I hope you doing well . I am very happy to hear you from your side that after college you want to do higher studies.hope this will give you a bright future .and it is very existing news that you want to take admission in same as my course .first I am giving you brief knowledge of my course it is 2yrs course which included 4 semesters .

After each you have exam from university ,at the end you have your final exam and after that you got certificate

I recommend this course because I know that you have interest in this field so doing university provide you deep knowledge and have bright future.

Application process is quite simple .you should go in university website then you have to fill up the form including all information both personal and education then if you fall under the Merit then university send your admitting latter by the post so have no worry about it

I hope you achieved your goal and have a shining future ahead

Feel free to ask anything related to course it’s my pleasure to give you help

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: course details, reasons for recommendation, and application advice. However, the development of these points is somewhat superficial. For example, the description of the course is limited to its duration and exam structure, lacking depth regarding the content or nature of the study. The advice on the application process is clear but could be more detailed to be truly helpful to a friend. The tone is generally appropriate for a letter to a friend, though it lacks a natural, conversational flow in some sections.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite limited and sometimes mechanical. There is a lack of linking words to connect ideas within sentences, leading to a somewhat choppy reading experience. For instance, the transition between the course description and the recommendation is abrupt. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and the overall progression of ideas could be improved by using a wider variety of transition signals to better link the paragraphs and sentences.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. There are several instances of awkward word choices, such as 'existing news' (likely meant 'exciting') and 'admitting latter' (meant 'admission letter'). The range of vocabulary is limited, and the student relies on simple, repetitive phrasing. To reach a higher band, the student should incorporate more precise collocations and a wider range of topic-specific vocabulary related to university studies and application procedures.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors, including missing articles ('go in university website'), incorrect verb forms ('I hope you doing well'), and punctuation issues (spacing before commas and periods). While the meaning is generally clear, these errors are persistent and distract from the message. The sentence structures are mostly simple, with few attempts at complex sentences. The lack of proper capitalization and inconsistent sentence structure significantly impacts the overall accuracy of the writing.

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

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