Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-11-03

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)

1. law, a four year course, can choose a major in final year,there is mock trials, debate competitions, university sports

2. university is ranked 7th in the world as per global university, has excellent ffaculty, lot of sitting judges from Supreme court come for guest lectures, there is wide range of subjects to choose from

3. You can give Lsats, do extra activities outside of school to build profile,

Dear .....,

I hope you are doing well. It is great to hear

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You include relevant points for all three bullet points: the course is law and lasts four years, you mention mock trials and debates, and you give reasons to choose the university, including its ranking and guest lectures. However, the response is far too brief to develop these points or form a complete letter, and the application advice (“give Lsats” and do extra activities) is only sketched. The opening, “I hope you are doing well. It is great to hear”, is unfinished, and there is no clear closing. The task requires at least 150 words, but this response contains 82. Expand each point with useful details and explain how your friend should apply, such as where to find requirements and when to submit documents.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.0

The numbered notes make the three requested topics identifiable, so the reader can see the basic plan. However, the response does not develop into a coherent letter: the numbered list is not connected to the greeting, and the final sentence, “It is great to hear”, is left incomplete before the notes begin. There are no paragraph transitions or a closing, and the ideas within each numbered section are presented as a list rather than linked explanations. To improve, organise the letter into paragraphs—course details, reasons for recommending the university, and application advice—and use simple links such as “Another reason” and “To apply, you should first…”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant subject vocabulary, including “mock trials”, “debate competitions”, “guest lectures” and “major”, which helps communicate the course and university details. The range is nevertheless limited because most information is expressed as short notes, and some phrases are unclear or imprecise, such as “as per global university” and “give Lsats”. There are also spelling and form issues, including “ffaculty” and “Lsats”. Choose accurate, natural expressions—for example, “ranked seventh in the world” and “take the LSAT”—and use vocabulary that explains the course more fully. A wider range of precise phrases would make the advice clearer and more appropriate for a friendly letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response shows some control of basic sentence patterns in the opening, “I hope you are doing well,” and in the advice, “You can give Lsats.” However, most of the content consists of fragments rather than complete sentences, such as “law, a four year course” and “there is mock trials”. The opening also stops after “It is great to hear”, leaving the sentence unfinished. Capitalisation and punctuation are inconsistent, particularly in the long comma-separated notes. Write complete sentences with a subject and verb, and check agreement and sentence boundaries—for example, “The course lasts four years, and students can choose a major in their final year.” This will make the information easier to follow.

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