Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Dear Administrator,

I hope you are doing well,

As I booked a part time course from your institue, which is based on Computer Progarmming. As programming is my favorite all the time since I was in school. However, I wanted to changed it due to some reason.

As I wanted to be teaching English Language in future. So I wanted to increase my fluency and vocabulary after enrolling into this part time course.

Since, English is a very common language all over the world. When I moved aboard this might be beneficial for my career opportunities as well as teaching industry.

So I would like to you to change my part time course from computer programming to English language. I shall be very thank ful to you as you accept my request. If you would like to meet me in person for some serious issues, then I am delighted to meet you.

Thank you,

Yours sincerely,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the prompt: identifying the course, explaining the reason for cancellation, and requesting a change. However, the development of these points is somewhat limited. The explanation for the change is a bit repetitive, and the tone is occasionally inconsistent with a formal letter to an administrator (e.g., 'serious issues'). To improve, ensure your reasons are clearly linked to the request and maintain a professional, polite tone throughout. The letter successfully conveys the necessary information to the reader, fulfilling the core requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter follows a logical structure, moving from the introduction to the explanation and finally the request. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate. For example, starting multiple sentences with 'As' or 'So' makes the flow feel repetitive. Paragraphing is also insufficient; the entire body of the letter is presented as a single block, which hinders readability. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in light of this') and ensure that each distinct idea is separated into its own paragraph.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your needs clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'Computer Programming' and 'enrolling'. However, there are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'institue' (spelling), 'changed it' (should be 'change it'), and 'teaching industry' (which is not the standard collocation). To improve, focus on learning common collocations and proofreading for spelling errors. Expanding your range of vocabulary to include more precise academic or formal expressions would also help elevate your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'I wanted to be teaching English Language' (should be 'I want to teach'), 'I would like to you to change' (extra 'to'), and 'I shall be very thank ful to you as you accept' (should be 'if you could accept'). While these errors do not prevent the message from being understood, they indicate a lack of control over complex structures. Focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of modal verbs for formal requests.

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

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