Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-14

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 6.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to request for cancellation of my booking regarding the part-time course at your college.

Three weeks ago, I have made my booking for a part-time course titled 'Business Management' which lasts for one year. I have paid $100 as registration fees for this course.

Unfortunately, I am unable to continue this program due to my professional commitments. I have recently given additional project by my employer, which require me to relocate another city for around six months. I am really feeling disappoint to cancel my studies for a while.

I would be grateful if you could provide me another short-term available course that I can pursue online. This helps me to continue my studies. I would really appreciate your advice about the steps to enroll in another course.

Thank you for your support and consideration. I look forward to your response.

Yours faithfully,

Harmeet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly identified the 'Business Management' course, provided a logical reason for cancellation (professional relocation), and inquired about alternative online study options. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to an administrator. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the letter is clear from the outset. To reach a higher band, ensure that all details are fully integrated; for instance, you could have mentioned your student ID or booking reference to make the request more realistic and professional.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose, moving from the purpose of the letter to the explanation and finally the request for alternatives. Cohesive devices such as 'Unfortunately', 'In addition', and 'I would be grateful if' are used effectively to link sentences. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter. The flow is smooth, and the reader can easily follow your train of thought throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'professional commitments', 'registration fees', and 'relocate'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'I have recently given additional project' (should be 'I have recently been given an additional project') and 'feeling disappoint' (should be 'feeling disappointed'). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the use of vocabulary from being considered highly flexible or precise. Expanding your range of formal expressions would help elevate your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'I have made my booking' (the present perfect is slightly unnatural here; 'I booked' is better) and 'which require me' (should be 'which requires me' to agree with 'project'). Additionally, 'provide me another' should be 'provide me with another'. While these errors are noticeable, they do not cause confusion or impede the reader's understanding. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions in formal contexts.

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

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