Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-19

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,

Iam Shabnam Jiwani, I have booked the part time course in Mathematics earlier this year for upcoming term. I no longer wish to continue with the course.

I want to cancel my name from enrolled course in Mathematics as already have good knowledge of the subject. Earlier i thought this course would have something different in terms of course content. I did not check the course material earlier. Also, i want to do CPA in coming years so course in Accounting would be ideal for me.

I also want enquire about the courses in accounting for aspiring CPA. Iam well versed with basic accounting. I need something that has advance content to help with the CPA studies later. In addition to this i also to know about taxation courses available in the university. Furthermore i want to know if these courses are available for upcoming winter term?

Iam looking forward to re-enroll in next term in accounting or taxation course. Awaiting your response in this matter.

Yours Faithfully,

Shabnam

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully covers all three bullet points: identifying the course, explaining the reason for cancellation, and inquiring about alternatives. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, although the opening 'Dear Sir' is slightly less standard than 'Dear Sir or Madam' as requested in the prompt. The ideas are relevant and clearly expressed, providing a logical flow from the cancellation to the future academic goals. The purpose of the letter is clear from the outset, and the request for information regarding accounting and taxation courses is well-integrated into the overall narrative.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized into distinct paragraphs, each serving a specific purpose. The progression of ideas is clear, moving from the cancellation to the justification and finally to the inquiry. Cohesive devices such as 'In addition to this', 'Furthermore', and 'Also' are used to link sentences, although some transitions feel slightly mechanical. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the letter follows a standard formal structure. While the flow is generally smooth, a more varied use of cohesive devices would enhance the overall readability and sophistication of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their message clearly. There are some instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'cancel my name from enrolled course' instead of 'withdraw from the course'. The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss academic topics, such as 'well versed', 'advance content', and 'taxation'. However, there is a lack of more sophisticated or precise collocations that would elevate the response to a higher band. Spelling is generally accurate, though there are minor issues with capitalization and missing articles.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, particularly regarding articles (e.g., 'course in Accounting', 'in next term') and subject-verb agreement or missing verbs (e.g., 'i also to know' instead of 'I also want to know'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are consistent issues with the capitalization of the pronoun 'I'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. A greater focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy would significantly improve the quality of the writing.

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.