Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-20

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/Madam,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter in contrast to cancel my part time course that i recently got enrolled in.

Since childhood I had a passion of learning culinary so i got myself enrolled in Culinary Management. I found out that, classes will be held in the evenings of Monday and Tuesday but unfortunately, i am not available on these days as my Aunt is sick and i have to take her to the local hospital every week on the same days.

She is 47 years old and suffering from cancer, she does not have any family member living with her. I try to spend more time with her whenever, i visit her place i wash the dishes and clean her house.

I saw that you have a baking course available on Thursday and Friday i guess i can manage the timings for this course. Is it possible if you can transfer my credits to Baking course. This can assist me in learning a new skill.

I am looking forward, for your response. I hope you can help me in this transition phase.

Regards,

David

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 transfer. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter. However, the explanation regarding your aunt is slightly over-detailed, which distracts from the primary purpose of the letter. To improve, focus more on the administrative request rather than personal anecdotes about cleaning or specific medical details. The purpose of the letter is clear, and the request for the baking course is well-integrated into the final paragraphs.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each serving a specific purpose. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Since childhood' and 'Unfortunately', to link ideas. However, some transitions are a bit mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'in contrast to cancel' in the opening sentence, which does not convey the intended meaning. The flow between the personal situation and the request for a course transfer is generally smooth, but the paragraphing could be tighter to ensure a more professional tone throughout the correspondence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'enrolled', 'culinary', and 'transition phase'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'in contrast to cancel' is incorrect; 'in order to cancel' would be more appropriate. Additionally, 'manage the timings' is acceptable but could be more precise. While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the flexibility and precision required for a higher band 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 am writing this letter in contrast to cancel my part time course that i recently got enrolled in' (incorrect preposition and capitalization of 'I'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage, such as 'whenever, i visit'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent capitalization of the pronoun 'I' will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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