Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-16

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 inform you that recently I enrolled in a marketing course at your college, but now I need to cancel this booking.

Firstly, last week, on August 15th, I enrolled in your college for a marketing diploma because it's my childhood dream, and I want to set up my own business. That is the reason I think this course is suitable for me.

However, after paying the admission fees, I discussed this idea with my best friend, and he suggested me to enrol in a digital marketing course where I can learn about marketing as well as digital media, which will help me to expand my business according to market needs.

Furthermore, I am not sure about this; I can change my marketing course and enrol in a digital marketing course. Moreover, I am ready to pay extra charges and apologise for this inconvenience.

I hope you understand my situation. Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Sargundeep

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task: identifying the course, explaining the reason for cancellation, and requesting a change. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter. However, the development of ideas is slightly repetitive. For example, you mention your business goals in both the first and second paragraphs. To improve, ensure each paragraph serves a distinct purpose. The explanation for the cancellation is clear, and the request for a different course is explicitly stated, meeting the requirements of the prompt effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter follows a logical structure with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. You use transition signals such as 'Firstly', 'However', and 'Furthermore' to connect your ideas. While these are generally used correctly, the flow between the second and third paragraphs is slightly disjointed. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter. To reach a higher band, ensure that the transition between your explanation and your request is smoother, perhaps by linking the desire for the new course more directly to the cancellation of the first.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task and allows you to convey your message clearly. You use some relevant terms like 'enrolled', 'admission fees', and 'inconvenience'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are minor issues with collocation, such as 'suggested me to enrol' (it should be 'suggested that I enrol' or 'advised me to enrol'). Expanding your range of formal expressions would help elevate the quality of your writing. Overall, the language used is sufficient to communicate your intent without difficulty.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'I am not sure about this; I can change my marketing course', which is slightly confusing in its phrasing. Additionally, 'suggested me to enrol' is a common error. While these errors are present, they do not impede the reader's understanding of your request. To improve, focus on verb patterns (e.g., 'suggest' + that-clause) and ensure that your complex sentences are constructed with greater precision to avoid ambiguity.

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.