Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-13

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 cancel my booking for the part - time computer course, which i recently booked at your college.

Unfortunately, i cannot attend this course because my work schedule has changed. Whereas, i now have to work during the class hours, so it will be difficult for me to attend the course regularly. While, i am sorry for any inconvenience caused.

However, i am still interesting in studying at your college. Moreover, could you please tell me if i can book a part - time in English course at a different time ? Furthermore, i would be grateful if you could provide me with information about the available courses and timings.

Thank you for your help. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours fat

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AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: identifying the course, explaining the cancellation, and requesting information about a new course. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which negatively impacts the development of ideas. While the tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, the brevity prevents a fully developed response. To improve, you should expand on the reasons for your schedule change or provide more specific details regarding your availability for the alternative course to ensure you meet the length requirement and provide a more comprehensive response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of your request. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally misused. For example, starting sentences with 'Whereas' and 'While' in the second paragraph is grammatically incorrect and disrupts the flow. Using these as sentence starters creates fragments rather than cohesive links. To improve, focus on using standard transition words like 'consequently' or 'furthermore' correctly to connect your ideas more naturally and improve the overall flow of the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your needs clearly. You use some relevant phrases such as 'part-time course' and 'inconvenience caused.' However, there are some errors in word choice and form, such as 'interesting' instead of 'interested' and the awkward phrasing 'part-time in English course.' To reach a higher band, you should aim for more precise vocabulary and ensure that word forms are used correctly in context. Expanding your range of formal expressions would also help elevate the tone of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in punctuation and grammar. Specifically, you have issues with capitalization (e.g., 'i' instead of 'I') and incorrect sentence fragments caused by the misuse of 'Whereas' and 'While.' Additionally, there is a typo in the sign-off ('Yours fat' instead of 'Yours faithfully'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to affect the overall quality. Focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and ensuring that complex sentences are constructed correctly.

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

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