Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-09

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 5.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing this letter to ask you to cancel my booking in your part-time course.

I booked English course on your website and I paid online last week, I choose the duration of it on August month, that happened when you announced this part-time course in the college magazine.

I cannot follow this course at this time because my family decided to travel to America in Summer so I think I can learn this course there with actual experience.

I would like to book Management course instead of this if it is possible, it will be help me in studying for next year and I check the website there are still available places.

I looking forward to approve my request.

Yours faithfully

Manal Malakani

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: identifying the course, explaining the reason for cancellation, and requesting a new course. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum, which limits the development of ideas. The explanation for the cancellation is brief, and the request for the new course lacks detail. Because the length requirement was not met, the task is not fully developed, resulting in a lower score for this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The letter is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is very limited and sometimes mechanical. For example, the transition between the reason for cancellation and the request for a new course is abrupt. There is a lack of linking words to connect ideas smoothly within sentences, which makes the flow feel somewhat disjointed. Improving the use of transition signals would significantly enhance the readability of the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is basic and repetitive. While the meaning is generally clear, there is a lack of variety and precision. Phrases like 'I choose the duration' and 'I think I can learn this course' are somewhat unnatural. There are also minor errors in word choice, such as 'August month' instead of 'the month of August'. To improve, you should aim to use more specific collocations and a wider range of vocabulary related to formal correspondence and course administration.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response relies heavily on simple sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'I booked English course' (missing article), 'it will be help me' (incorrect verb form), and 'I looking forward to approve' (incorrect tense and voice). These errors occur frequently and occasionally cause the reader to pause. To reach a higher band, you need to demonstrate better control over complex sentence structures and ensure that basic subject-verb agreement and article usage are accurate.

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

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