Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-10

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 4.5)

Dear Isabella,

I hope you are doing well. it's been while since we meet each other. I am writing this letter to ask for your advise about the gerentology subject at the university of waterloo.

To begin with, I heard that you are planning to take gerentology course this year. Moreover, I took this course last year at university of waterloo. It is almost length of 2 year and 4 semesters. It is about the gerontology care for older adults. However, I would recommend this university as it has all the facilities for the students for their better study.

Furthermore,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The letter begins appropriately and includes some relevant course information: you say you studied gerontology last year, describe its focus as care for older adults, and mention the course duration. However, the response is incomplete and addresses the task only partially. The recommendation is supported only by the general claim that the university has “all the facilities,” and the requested application advice is not provided. The final “Furthermore,” leaves the letter unfinished, with no closing or clear completion of your message. The response is also 100 words, below the required 150, so there is not enough development to cover all three bullet points. Add specific reasons for recommending Waterloo and practical steps for applying, such as checking entry requirements and submitting documents before the deadline.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the letter: an opening is followed by a paragraph about the course and the university, and linking phrases such as “To begin with” and “Moreover” show how you intend to connect ideas. However, progression is limited because the response stops at “Furthermore,” before introducing the next point. The opening also shifts from asking for advice to describing your own course, which makes the purpose less clear. The ideas would be easier to follow if you used separate paragraphs for course details, your reasons for recommending the university, and application advice. Complete the final paragraph and use links that clearly show how each point relates to the friend’s request.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “gerontology,” “course,” “older adults,” and “facilities,” so the reader can identify the subject and general message. There is also an attempt to use a more specific term than a broad subject label. However, the range is limited, and several word choices or spellings are inaccurate, including “gerentology” and “advise” where the noun “advice” is needed. “All the facilities” is vague and does not explain what makes the university suitable. Use more precise expressions for course content and student support, such as “modules on ageing and elder care” or “well-equipped learning resources.” Check the spelling of key subject vocabulary carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response includes simple statements and some attempts to connect clauses, for example, “I would recommend this university as it has…” This shows an effort to use more than isolated short sentences. However, grammatical control is uneven, and errors sometimes make the meaning less smooth. In “it's been while since we meet each other,” the article and verb form need correction: “It’s been a while since we met.” The sentence about course length also needs a clearer structure, such as “The course lasts two years and consists of four semesters.” Capitalise “It’s” at the start of a sentence and use consistent sentence punctuation. Practising accurate past-tense forms and complete sentence patterns will make the letter clearer.

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

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