Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-05

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You recently booked a part-time course at a college. You now need to cancel your booking.

Write a letter to the college administrator. In your letter:

• say which part-time course you booked
• explain why you need to cancel your booking
• ask about booking a different course

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 5.0)

Dear principal, Iam Raja saad Nisar khan, i recently came in your office and meet with you and, i was discussed about the part time course in your college.you was said me you can join on 16 feburary at 6 pm.

Dear Sir but i can't join the college, because i can't mange time , i think lots of time about my decesion , currently i face different problems i usually came late on my work. When i was came in your college that's was iam free and i was on vacation but suddenly our manager call me and said come back to work i have some some essential projects you should complete it,and gave the report,i apologies to you i can join it and iam not interested on this course.When i have time, i will join your another course so please don't mind .You're very respectful for me next time when i join you course i will complete.

Regrad

saad

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the course as a part-time course and explain that work commitments have changed because your manager has called you back to complete projects. This gives the reader a relevant reason for cancelling. However, the course itself is not named, and the cancellation request is not stated clearly or directly. The final reference to joining “your another course” is vague: you do not ask what other courses are available or how to book one. The letter also includes unnecessary personal details and an overly familiar, unclear closing, which weaken its purpose and appropriacy. Address each required point explicitly, including the course name, a direct cancellation request, and a specific enquiry about alternatives.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic sequence: you refer to the earlier discussion, explain the change in your work situation, and mention a possible future course. This helps the reader follow the general situation. However, the response is presented as one long paragraph, and several ideas run together, especially the explanation beginning “currently i face different problems” and the manager’s instructions. Connectors such as “because,” “but,” and “so” are repeated or used where the relationship between ideas is not clear. The opening also shifts from “Dear principal” to “Dear Sir,” making the letter’s structure less consistent. Use separate paragraphs for the cancellation and alternative-course enquiry, and make each sentence express one clear step in the message.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for the situation, including “part time course,” “vacation,” “essential projects,” and “report,” so the reader can understand the main reason for writing. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, sometimes making the message difficult to interpret. For example, “i was discussed about” and “i apologies to you” do not express the intended meaning naturally, while “i will join your another course” is unclear. Spelling errors such as “feburary,” “mange,” “decesion,” and “Regrad” also reduce clarity. Build a more precise set of phrases for cancelling a booking and enquiring about alternatives, and check spelling and word forms carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to combine ideas using clauses, for example, “i can't join the college, because i can't mange time” and the explanation about your manager calling you back. This shows an effort to write beyond short, isolated sentences. However, the range is limited, and errors in verb forms, tense, agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries are frequent enough to make parts difficult to follow. Examples include “i recently came … and meet with you,” “you was said me,” and “When i was came in your college.” Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, with long sentences joined by commas. Practise accurate past-tense forms and simple sentence boundaries first, then use a few correctly formed subordinate clauses to explain your circumstances.

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

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