Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-31

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 am writing to cancel my registration for the part-time course at your college.

My name is Harman and my student ID is [redacted phone]. I have recently enrolled in a Business Management course specialising in Supply Chain at your downtown location.

I want to cancel this course because the course I wanted to enrol in is Business Management specialising in Human Resources. I made a mistake while registering by selecting the wrong option which I realised after submitting the registration form. I have tried multiple times to change the course name through the student portal but I could not make the change. Therefore, I need your assistance in changing the course name.

The name of the course, I want to register for is Business Management in Human Resources. Moreover, I am looking for weekend classes because I am off from work. I am taking this course because I want to get a promotion at my work place from Supervisor to Assistant Manager position. I hope you understand my situation and help me make the change. Please let me know if you need further information. I hope to hear back from you soon.

Kind regards,

Harman

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 you booked, explain the reason for the cancellation (a registration error), and inquire about switching to the Human Resources course. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to an administrator. The purpose of the letter is clear from the outset, and the information provided is relevant and sufficient to achieve the task's goal. You have maintained a consistent and professional tone throughout the correspondence, which is essential for this type of task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The letter is well-organized with a logical progression of ideas. You move smoothly from the purpose of the letter to the explanation of the error and finally to the request for a change. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the introduction, the body of the explanation, and the closing request. Cohesive devices such as 'Therefore', 'Moreover', and 'because' are used appropriately to link sentences and ideas. The flow of information is natural and easy to follow, meeting the requirements for a high band score in this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task. Phrases like 'enrolled in', 'specialising in', and 'assistance in changing' are used correctly and fit the formal context. While the vocabulary is functional and accurate, it is somewhat standard. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate more precise or sophisticated collocations related to administrative procedures, such as 'rectify the error' or 'amend my registration'. However, there are no significant errors in word choice, and the language used is perfectly suitable for the intended purpose.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The grammar is generally accurate, and you use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. For example, 'I made a mistake while registering by selecting the wrong option which I realised after submitting the registration form' is a well-constructed complex sentence. There are very few errors, and those that exist do not impede communication. Punctuation is generally correct, although there is a minor unnecessary comma in 'The name of the course, I want to register for'. Overall, the control of grammar is strong and supports clear communication.

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