Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I hope this letter finds you well. I have booked a part-time evening course at your college recently. However, I am writing to cancel my booking as I want to enroll in a different course.

I have pursued a part-time English speaking course which is essential to get a good band scores in an IELTs which is required to get an admission in the foreign university as per my knowledge.

However, I have verified requirements of getting enrollment in a university of Canada, where I have dream to study, recently and I realized that they do not need an IELTs score to enroll. Consequently, I have to cancel the current booking.

Moreover, they mentioned on the website that they prefer good language proficiency in the French. Is there any chance that I can book a French language learning course at your institute?

Hoping for your prompt response.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Alex

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly identify the course booked, provide a logical reason for the cancellation (a change in university requirements), and inquire about an alternative French course. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to an administrator. The ideas are relevant and well-developed, ensuring the reader understands the purpose of your communication immediately. To reach a higher band, ensure that the explanation of your situation is slightly more concise, as the current explanation of university requirements is a bit wordy and repetitive.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose, moving from the purpose of the letter to the explanation and finally the request. You use some cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Consequently', and 'Moreover' to link your sentences effectively. While the flow is generally good, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. To improve, try to vary the sentence structure further to ensure that the connections between ideas feel more natural and less reliant on standard linking words at the start of every paragraph.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task. Phrases like 'enroll in a different course' and 'language proficiency' are used correctly. However, there are some minor inaccuracies and awkward phrasings, such as 'pursued a part-time English speaking course' (which should be 'enrolled in') and 'get a good band scores in an IELTs' (which should be 'achieve a good band score in IELTS'). The use of 'the French' is also incorrect; it should simply be 'French'. Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise collocations would help elevate your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors that persist. For example, 'I have booked... recently' is better expressed as 'I recently booked' (past simple). Additionally, 'I have dream to study' should be 'I have a dream of studying'. There are also minor errors with articles, such as 'in the foreign university' (should be 'at a foreign university'). Despite these errors, the grammar does not impede communication, and the overall structure is sufficient for the task.

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

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