Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-30

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. My name is Vaishali Juneja and my student number is 3456. I recently got enrolled in a part-time course 'Project Management'. Unfortunately, I have to cancel my booking now.

I am working full time in a firm, because of time constraint I'm unable to manage both my studies and work. I have some family responsibilities as well, hence I can't leave this job. Therefore, I request you to cancel my registration for this course.

I'll be able to re-join the college after six months, as my contract with firm will be ended by then. However, I would like to opt for a different course next time and that will be Financial Planning Services.

I would really appreciate if you could let me know the charges for this course and if there is any additional cost involved to cancel my current program.

Looking forward to your positive response at your earliest convenience.

Yours faithfully,

Vaishali

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly identify the course ('Project Management'), provide a logical explanation for the cancellation (work and family commitments), and inquire about a future alternative ('Financial Planning Services'). 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 outset. You have met all requirements of the task effectively, ensuring the reader understands your situation and your specific requests without any ambiguity.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph serving a distinct purpose. The progression of ideas is smooth, moving from the introduction to the explanation, then to the future plan, and finally the inquiry. You use cohesive devices such as 'Unfortunately', 'Therefore', and 'However' to link your sentences effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different sections of the letter. The flow is natural, and the relationship between the ideas is easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task. Phrases like 'time constraint', 'family responsibilities', and 'at your earliest convenience' are used correctly and fit the formal context well. While the vocabulary is functional and accurate, it is somewhat standard. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate more precise or sophisticated collocations. For example, instead of 'got enrolled', 'registered for' or 'enrolled in' would be more professional. Overall, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your message clearly without any errors that impede communication.

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, and your control over punctuation is good. There are a few minor slips, such as 'my contract with firm will be ended' (should be 'the firm' or 'my firm') and 'I recently got enrolled' (a bit informal). However, these errors are infrequent and do not interfere with the clarity of your writing. The use of modal verbs like 'would like to' and 'could let me know' is accurate and appropriate for a formal request.

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