Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 to inform you to cancel the course that I recently book at your college. On Friday 17th of may I booked part-time course about "Dairy Farming". sins I am working on a dairy farm I decided this part-time course will be helpful to my profession. unfortunately at this movement I do not have a interest about this course.

Few weeks ago I had to face a work related accident, therefore I have no further interest to follow this dairy farm course. as a result of the accident I would not be able to do my occupation.this is the main reason behind this cancellation.

If you do not mind, can you concern about any other courses relevant to Computer training. because I have an intention to learn computer based skill. I really appreciate if you could recomm

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: identifying the course, explaining the cancellation, and inquiring about alternatives. However, the response is incomplete as it cuts off mid-sentence at the end, which prevents a full development of the final point. Furthermore, the response falls below the 150-word minimum requirement. While the tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, the lack of a proper closing and the insufficient length significantly impact the task achievement score. To improve, ensure all parts of the prompt are fully developed and that the letter reaches the required word count with a complete, polite closing.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of ideas. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate, such as the use of 'sins' (since) and 'at this movement' (at this moment). The transition between the accident and the request for a new course is abrupt. The abrupt ending of the letter also disrupts the overall coherence. To improve, use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph flows logically into the next, concluding with a standard formal sign-off.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and contains several errors. For instance, 'book' should be 'booked', 'sins' is a misspelling of 'since', and 'follow this dairy farm course' is an unnatural collocation; 'enrol in' or 'take' would be better. The phrase 'at this movement' is an incorrect usage. While the meaning is generally clear, the limited range and frequent word-choice errors prevent a higher score. Focus on learning standard collocations for formal correspondence and proofreading for basic spelling and word-form errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The writing contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'I recently book' (booked), 'I do not have a interest' (an interest), and 'I would not be able to do my occupation' (which is slightly unnatural). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing capital letters at the start of sentences and errors in tense usage. These errors are noticeable and occasionally cause the reader to pause. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct tense usage for past events, and basic sentence punctuation.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.