Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-17

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 Sam,

I hope you're doing well. I am really glad that you decided to do Data Analytics at St.Clair. I would like to clarify few of your doubts in this letter.

The data analytics course at St.Clair is world renowed and the univeristy is also in the top 2 list for best universities of Canada. The institute has one of the best faculty for the course,during my studies the professors not only helped us with academics but also encouraged us to do freelance projects for our local hospitals and other small firms.I would recommend you this univeristy because they will conduct frequently networking events with former alumnis to help current students to connect with someone experienced in the industry. Furthermore, the university campus is famous for its state of the art football stadium and gymnasium.

In order to apply for the university, I would suggest you to prepare a letter of recommendation from your previous faculty of high school as well as from your employer as well that will boost your chance of getting the admission.

Fell free to reach out to me via text or call for further queries.

Yours lovingly,

Sadaf.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address all three requested points: you identify the Data Analytics course, give reasons for recommending St. Clair, and offer application advice. The details about professors supporting freelance projects and networking with alumni make the recommendation relevant and personal. However, the course itself is described only briefly, while the advice focuses almost entirely on recommendation letters; practical steps such as checking entry requirements, preparing transcripts, or meeting deadlines would make this part more useful. The opening also says Sam has already decided to take the course, although the prompt says they are considering applying. Develop the course details and make the advice more specific to fully cover the task.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a clear overall arrangement: an opening, a paragraph about the university, a paragraph on applying, and a friendly closing. This makes the main purpose easy to follow. You also use linking expressions such as “Furthermore” and “In order to,” which help connect ideas. However, the long university paragraph combines course quality, teaching support, networking, and campus facilities, so the progression is somewhat crowded. The transition from recommending the university to application advice is abrupt, and “as well as … as well” is repetitive. Separate the reasons into a more deliberate sequence and use clearer paragraphing or transitions to guide the reader.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a suitable range of vocabulary for a friendly letter, including “freelance projects,” “networking events,” “former alumni,” and “state of the art.” These choices help convey specific reasons for recommending the university. However, several spelling and word-choice errors reduce accuracy, including “renowed,” “univeristy,” “alumnis,” and “Fell.” Some phrases are also awkward or imprecise, such as “clarify few of your doubts,” “recommend you this university,” and “boost your chance of getting the admission.” Aim for more natural collocations and check spelling carefully; this will make your message sound more fluent and precise without changing its friendly tone.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple sentences and longer structures, for example the sentence beginning “I would recommend you this university because…” and the sentence describing how professors supported students. The meaning is generally clear, but some grammatical errors occur in these more complex sentences. Examples include the missing article in “clarify few of your doubts,” the incorrect pattern “recommend you this university,” and the awkward construction “I would suggest you to prepare.” The long sentence about professors also needs clearer punctuation to separate its clauses. Practise article use and verb patterns such as “recommend that you…” or “suggest preparing…,” and break long sentences into manageable units.

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