Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-03

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 5.5)

Dear Madam,

I am one of your students, who recently booked a part-time course at the college. I am writing to formally inform you that i will like to cancel my booking because of some reasons.

Presently, I booked a course on Nursing management with you on Monday last week been 12th July which will commence on 20th of August. I supposed to be part of it but I will not be able to do so.

Why i actually need to cancel this because I will be moving to another branch soon. My company has sent me to cover in another branch which will be for a longer time, up to 7 months. I can not afford to be transport myself from my location to the school. That's why i want to cancel it.

I will to know if i can book a different course that i can join later when i return. Kindly reach out to me because i am so interested in booking another course with you.

Thanks for your consideration.

Yours Faithfully.

Lynda.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points: identifying the course (Nursing management), explaining the reason for cancellation (relocation for work), and inquiring about future enrollment. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to an administrator. The purpose of the letter is clear from the outset, and the ideas are developed sufficiently to meet the requirements of the task. The response maintains a consistent focus throughout, ensuring the reader understands the situation and the requested action.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each serving a specific purpose. The progression of ideas is easy to follow, moving from the notification of cancellation to the explanation and finally the inquiry. While the use of cohesive devices is somewhat basic (e.g., 'That's why', 'Because'), they are used effectively to link sentences. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the letter follows a standard formal structure, which aids in the overall readability and flow of the message.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate their needs clearly. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'been 12th July' and 'I can not afford to be transport myself'. While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Using more precise vocabulary, such as 'commence' or 'relocate', shows an attempt at a formal register, which is appropriate for this context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'i will like to' (should be 'I would like to'), 'I supposed to be' (should be 'I was supposed to be'), and the inconsistent capitalization of 'i'. Additionally, 'I will to know' is a structural error. Despite these frequent errors, the meaning remains clear throughout the letter. The punctuation is generally functional, though the closing 'Yours Faithfully.' should not have a period after the word.

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