Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-12

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 param

i am writing to appriciate you to decide to do same course as me and i feel glad to help you to grab some information about my course that may be prove helpful for you.

as you know am studying associate of arts in university canada west from last two years. this course is available for all the junior and senier students. you have to complete 20 courses to complete this degree in 6 semesters.

i am highly recomend you to enrol in university canada west one of the main reason is its reputation of best higher educational organization in vancouver and secondly fee of this degree is quite affordable of international students and thirdly you have chances to get schlorship from university if you have higher grades in each semester that helps you in paying your fee.

you can easily apply for this course online and you can also go by walk in in office hours. For the

enrolment you must validate study permit and if you are coming from India you must have each 6 band scores in IELTS.

thank you

your friend

Navjot kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The candidate addresses all three bullet points required in the task instructions. The letter gives details of the course (Associate of Arts at University Canada West, 20 courses over 6 semesters), explains recommendations regarding reputation, affordability, and scholarships, and provides clear application advice including online methods, walk-in options, and prerequisites like study permits and IELTS scores. The tone is appropriate for writing to a friend, and the purpose is clear throughout. Although the development of some points is relatively straightforward, all necessary elements are present and adequately covered, aligning well with the descriptors for Band 6.5 or a solid Band 6.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into paragraphs, with an opening, body sections covering the course and recommendations, and a concluding section on application steps. However, punctuation is largely absent, with lowercase letters starting sentences and names, which affects the visual structure and readability. Cohesive devices are somewhat repetitive, relying heavily on additive connectors like 'and secondly', 'and thirdly', and 'and you can also'. While there is a clear logical progression overall, the lack of appropriate punctuation and mechanical linking devices prevent the response from achieving a higher band score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The candidate uses a sufficient vocabulary range to communicate personal experiences and recommendations, including terms such as 'associate of arts', 'affordable', 'international students', and 'scholarship'. There are several noticeable spelling and word choice errors, such as 'appriciate' for appreciate, 'senier' for senior, 'recomend' for recommend, and 'schlorship' for scholarship. Additionally, expressions like 'from last two years' and 'go by walk in' are unnatural. These errors do not impede overall communication, placing the response comfortably within the Band 6 descriptor.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response demonstrates an attempt at complex sentences, using relative clauses and subordinate structures, such as 'that may be prove helpful' and 'if you have higher grades in each semester that helps you'. However, grammatical control is weak due to persistent errors, including missing auxiliary verbs ('am studying', 'may be prove'), tense inconsistencies, and a complete disregard for capitalization and punctuation. Simple sentences are generally understandable, but frequent grammatical inaccuracies in more complex structures mean the writing sits at the Band 5 level.

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

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