Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-21

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 6.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to draw your attention towards a mistake that I made recently while booking at your college.

Earlier today, I was enrolling myself for a full-time Hospitality Management course which was of 24 months at Seneca college. However, I ended up booking a part-time Accounting Management course at the same college by mistake.

As soon as I checked my payment receipt, I realised that I made a huge mistake. Since I have Arts background, I cannot familiarize myself with numbers in Accounting. Therefore, I would like to request you to cancel my current booking at your earliest convenience.

I would appreciate it if you could enroll me in a Hospitality Management program which is a full-time course. I apologized for any kind of inconvenience.

I look forward to your prompt response.

Yours sincerely,

Rutvi Patel

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points: the course booked, the reason for cancellation, and the request for a different course. However, the response is 141 words, which falls short of the 150-word minimum requirement. This under-length negatively impacts the task achievement score, as the development of ideas is slightly constrained. To improve, you should expand on the details, such as providing a specific course code or explaining the implications of the mistake more thoroughly to ensure the letter meets the length requirement and demonstrates a more comprehensive response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a formal closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Therefore', and 'As soon as' are used effectively to link ideas. The progression of information is clear and easy to follow. To reach a higher band, ensure that the transition between the mistake and the request for the new course is even smoother, perhaps by using more varied cohesive phrases to connect the two paragraphs more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'enrolling', 'convenience', and 'prompt response'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'I have Arts background' (missing an article: 'an Arts background') and 'I apologized' (should be 'I apologize' for present tense consistency). The vocabulary is functional and appropriate for a formal letter, but it lacks the sophistication or range of less common lexical items that would be required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors. For example, 'which was of 24 months' is slightly unnatural; 'which is a 24-month course' would be better. Additionally, 'I realized that I made' should be 'I realized that I had made' to correctly sequence the past events. Punctuation is generally accurate, but the tense inconsistency in the final paragraph ('I apologized') detracts from the overall accuracy. Focusing on verb tense consistency will help improve your score.

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

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