Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-30

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 sola.

I am glad to recieve a letter and to hear that you are applying the same course i did .personally i think applying for my course is a better choice .

i recommand mass communication in university of ibadan because the school is very good in helping the student to get what they want getting the requirement needed for the course .

on the other hand,mass communication will give a valuable experience and help you to be more independent ,open minded too is also very important and how is speaking you are someone that can not speak i will not advice to go for mass communication rather you go for what you know you can do better. You too study mass communication i dont think it would suit you personally.

My advice to you is to look for another course to do but not mass communication.

I hope my advice helps you make the right decision.

Best wishes,

Temitope.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You include the main requested elements: you identify mass communication at the University of Ibadan, give a reason for choosing it, and offer advice about whether your friend should take it. However, the response only partially fulfils the purpose of advising someone who is considering the same course. The recommendation is unclear: you first call it “a better choice,” then advise your friend not to study it and suggest another course. The course details are also very limited, and the application advice does not explain how to apply, such as checking entry requirements or submitting an application. Develop a consistent recommendation and give specific, practical information for each bullet point so the letter addresses the task more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The letter has a recognisable opening, body, and closing, and the ideas are broadly related to the subject of choosing a course. The greeting and sign-off also suit a letter to a friend. However, the progression is difficult to follow, especially in the long section beginning “on the other hand,” where several points about independence, speaking ability, and suitability run together. The contrast between recommending the course and advising against it is not clearly signposted or resolved. Paragraphing is limited, and connectors such as “on the other hand” do not make the relationship between ideas clear. Separate course information, your reasons, and application advice into focused paragraphs, and use linking phrases that accurately show how each point connects.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “mass communication,” “valuable experience,” and “independent,” and the reader can generally understand your main message. However, the range is limited, with repeated general words such as “course,” “good,” and “advice,” and some expressions are imprecise or unnatural. For example, “helping the student to get what they want getting the requirement needed” does not clearly explain the university’s benefit, while “how is speaking” is difficult to interpret. Spelling and word-form errors, including “recieve” and “recommand,” also affect accuracy. Choose precise phrases for course content and application steps, and check spelling and collocations before sending the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to connect ideas in longer sentences, for example with “because” and “on the other hand,” and you use simple sentences to make your advice clear. However, the range of sentence structures is limited, and attempts at longer sentences are often faulty, making parts of the message hard to follow. In “i recommand mass communication in university of ibadan,” articles and capitalisation are missing; “you are someone that can not speak i will not advice” also needs clearer sentence boundaries and a more accurate clause structure. There are further issues with punctuation, spacing, and sentence starts. Practise building one complete idea per sentence, then combine ideas with accurate clauses and punctuation.

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