Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-26

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 8.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing to request cancellation of my course, which is going to start next month, April. I took admission in a part-time course - Architectural Technologist ( Course # 17015) at Centennial College. I have paid fees for the entire course as well.

Unfortunately, I will have to go back to India, as my study visa is going to expire soon, given that I am not allowed to stay illegally in the country. I have applied for a visa extension, but I don’t anticipate that I will get approval on my application soon.

To mitigate the issues, I have checked the available courses for the next intake, which would be September, and I have seen that the course – Green Architecture- has just opened for students. Could you please transfer my admission to that course? I would be grateful if you could do that.

I believe these problems require immediate attention to avoid further issues. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

Milan Bodar

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The response successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly identify the course booked, provide a logical and personal reason for the cancellation, and effectively request a transfer to a different course. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to an administrator. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the letter is clear from the beginning. You have fulfilled all requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The letter is well-organized with a clear logical progression. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the request, which makes the information easy to follow. You use appropriate cohesive devices such as 'Unfortunately', 'To mitigate the issues', and 'I believe' to link your ideas. The paragraphing is used effectively to separate the introduction, the explanation, the request, and the closing. The flow of information is smooth and professional throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for a formal request. Phrases like 'mitigate the issues', 'anticipate', and 'consideration' are used correctly and add a professional tone to the letter. While the vocabulary is functional and accurate, it could be slightly more varied to reach the highest band. There are no significant errors in word choice or collocation that impede communication, and the language used is natural and fits the context of the task well.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The letter displays a good command of grammatical structures. You use a mix of simple and complex sentences, such as 'I have applied for a visa extension, but I don’t anticipate that I will get approval on my application soon.' There are very few errors, and those present do not hinder understanding. Punctuation is generally accurate, and the sentence construction is clear. The control over tense and modal verbs is consistent, contributing to the overall clarity of your message.

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