Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-23

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 inform you that I would like to cancel the part time course which I was registered in your college with immediate effect.

The course I registered was Accountancy. Due to an unexpected shift in my work, my employer has assigned me to lead a new project that requires my frequent attention, so I need to be present in evening as over-time.

However, I remain keen on enhancing my professional qualifications at your institution. Could you please suggest me some other course where I can develop and improve my skills which will develop my career. I'm interested in "Data Analytics" so please let me know if you any seat and I can transfer fees immediately. So I can attend the class from October.

Thank you for your time and assistance. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours Faithfully,

Alex

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter covers all three bullet points: identifying the course, explaining the cancellation, and inquiring about a new course. However, the response is slightly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which negatively impacts the task achievement score. While the tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, the development of ideas is somewhat brief. To improve, you should expand slightly on the reasons for the cancellation or provide more context regarding your interest in the new course to ensure you comfortably meet the length requirement and provide a more fully developed response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your intent. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'However' and 'Therefore' (implied), though the flow could be improved with more varied transition words. The referencing is generally clear, but some sentences feel slightly disjointed. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider range of linking words to connect your ideas more fluidly, ensuring that the transition between the cancellation of the first course and the inquiry about the second is smoother.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, such as 'immediate effect', 'professional qualifications', and 'institution'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'suggest me some other course' (should be 'suggest some other courses to me') and 'if you any seat' (should be 'if you have any seats available'). The vocabulary is functional but lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. Try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and ensure your phrasing is grammatically natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'the part time course which I was registered in your college' (should be 'the part-time course for which I registered at your college') and 'present in evening as over-time' (should be 'present in the evenings for overtime work'). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, they are frequent enough to affect the overall accuracy. Focus on subject-verb agreement and correct preposition usage to improve your control over complex structures.

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

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