Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-05

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 Sir or Madam,

I am writing this letter to cancel the booking of the part-time course that I booked on 23rd of July. I give advance to book my seat for the French course that will be begin on 8th of august.

While I was excited to join this class, I want to withdraw my name from this course for maily two reasons. Firstly, this course is for the intermediate level of student; however, I am completely beginner for French course. Secondly, I already enrolled in the compulsory subjects in which I need to pay more attention. Owing to these reasons, I cannot learn French.

However, I would like to join art and craft course, along with my academic courses in order to refresh my mind during the study period.

Yours sincerely,

Sukh.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

You have addressed all three bullet points: identifying the course, explaining the cancellation, and requesting a different course. However, the response is under the 150-word minimum, which significantly impacts the score. The ideas are relevant but somewhat underdeveloped; for instance, the explanation regarding the 'compulsory subjects' could have been expanded to provide more context. To improve, ensure you fully develop each point to meet the length requirement, as failing to reach the minimum word count prevents a higher band score regardless of the quality of the content.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your points. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'However' to transition between ideas. While the structure is sound, the flow is occasionally interrupted by minor grammatical errors. To reach a higher band, try to use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that your referencing (e.g., 'these reasons') is always clear and precise. Overall, the progression of ideas is logical and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your message clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'enrolled', 'compulsory', and 'withdraw'. However, there are some inaccuracies, such as 'I give advance to book my seat' (which should be 'I paid a deposit') and 'maily' (a spelling error). To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and ensure your spelling is accurate. Expanding your range of vocabulary beyond basic functional words will help you achieve a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'that will be begin' (should be 'that will begin'), 'intermediate level of student' (should be 'intermediate level students'), and 'I am completely beginner' (should be 'I am a complete beginner'). These errors are noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding your meaning. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles, as these are recurring issues in your writing.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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