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,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing to express my interest in different course. Actually, I recently booked a part time course at a your college, now I change my mind and I replace this course with other course which I really want to learn in your college.

I booked course according to my friend's choice which is relate to digital design course. However, I want to learn about how to make website, and website different page to earn money for future.

Whenever, Digital Design Experience course is about how to make Figma's file, and Photoshop which all things I already know about it. This is because, I want to cancel this course.

I am interested to learning about web design course which gives information about websites and how website work, it is also beneficial for me in the future to earn money. So, please canceled my previous course.

Thank you for your consideration and time.

Best regards,

Jaspreet Kaur.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points in the prompt: identifying the course, explaining the reason for cancellation, and requesting a different course. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. The explanation for why you want to cancel is repetitive, and the tone is occasionally informal for a formal letter (e.g., 'I change my mind'). While the purpose of the letter is clear, the content could be more professional and better structured to meet the requirements of a formal request. The letter covers the necessary information, but the expression of these ideas lacks the polish expected for a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your points. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, the use of 'Whenever' at the start of the third paragraph is incorrect in this context, as it does not function as a logical transition. Additionally, the flow between sentences is sometimes disjointed, making the progression of ideas feel a bit abrupt. While the overall message is understandable, the lack of sophisticated linking words and the occasional misuse of transitions prevent a higher score in this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is quite limited and repetitive. You rely on basic phrasing such as 'I want to learn' and 'earn money' multiple times. There are also some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'relate to digital design course' instead of 'related to the digital design course' and 'Figma's file'. To improve, you should aim for a wider range of vocabulary related to academic administration and professional development, and ensure that your word choices are precise and appropriate for a formal letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter, including issues with verb tenses ('I change my mind' instead of 'I have changed my mind'), article usage ('a your college'), and sentence structure. Many sentences are simple, and attempts at more complex structures often result in errors, such as 'which all things I already know about it'. These errors are noticeable and occasionally distract the reader, although they do not completely impede communication. To reach a higher band, you need to focus on subject-verb agreement, correct article usage, and more accurate sentence construction.

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

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