Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-29

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/Madam,

I am writing to inform you that I need to cancel my booking for a part-time course at your college.

I booked part-time English course at your college and it will start on 13th march of next month. I chose this course because I wanted to improve my English language skill.

However, my manager has recently changed my work schedule, and I have been asked to work night shifts. As a result, I will not be able to attend the classes regularly. Since I do not want to miss important lessons, I believe cancelling my booking is the best option because you can give my seat to another student.

I would also like to know whether is it possible to transfer my booking to another course in the future. If there is a French language course available during the weekends, I would be grateful if you could provide me the details.

I sincerely appologise for this inconvenience.

Thank you for your understanding. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Vishal Goyal

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The response successfully addresses all three bullet points of the task. You clearly identified the course booked, provided a logical reason for the cancellation (work schedule changes), and made a specific inquiry regarding a future alternative. The tone is consistently appropriate for a formal letter to an administrator. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the letter is clear from the outset. You have met all the requirements of the prompt effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose, moving from the notification of cancellation to the explanation and finally the request for information. You use cohesive devices such as 'However', 'As a result', and 'Since' effectively to link your sentences. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the flow of information is smooth throughout the text, making it easy for the reader to follow your request.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task. Phrases like 'inform you', 'attend the classes regularly', and 'provide me the details' are used correctly and fit the formal context. There is a minor spelling error ('appologise'), but this does not impede communication. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate more sophisticated collocations or less common lexical items, but the current range is sufficient to convey your meaning with precision and clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most of your sentences are error-free, though there is a minor grammatical slip in the question: 'I would also like to know whether is it possible' should be 'I would also like to know whether it is possible'. Additionally, 'I booked part-time English course' is missing an article ('a'). Despite these minor slips, your control over grammar is strong, and the errors do not interfere with the clarity of your message.

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