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,

The purpose of writing this letter is to cancel my part-time course reservation.

Firstly, I booked cooking course to enhance my skills because I am moving abroad for my Masters, so that I will become independent.

Moreover, the reason of canceling the course is morning schedule in which I work part-time as a cashier in restaurant. Thus, if I choose this timing for attending class than I may loose the job as I was appointed by manager to cover the morning shift.

Although cooking course is required for my future, I am also interest in your other courses like designing hand-craft, makeup and hair styles. If cookery classes is not matching with my timing, can you transfer me in makeup courses. Actually, I always have a wish to become makeup artist. Therefore, I am capable to fulfill my dream.

I am waiting for your response.

Your Faithfully

Gurpreet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt: identifying the course, explaining the cancellation reason, and requesting a transfer. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation regarding the work schedule is clear, but the transition to requesting a different course could be more smoothly integrated. The purpose of the letter is clear from the outset, and the reader is left with no doubt about the writer's intentions. To reach a higher band, ensure that the request for the new course is linked more logically to the initial cancellation.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Moreover', 'Thus', and 'Therefore' are used to link sentences. However, some of these transitions feel slightly mechanical or are used with minor grammatical errors, such as 'if I choose this timing... than I may loose'. The paragraphing is sufficient for a short letter, but the flow between the cancellation and the request for a new course could be improved with more sophisticated linking phrases to ensure a smoother transition between the two main topics.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their message clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'reservation' and 'independent', which are used correctly. However, there are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'designing hand-craft' (should be 'handicrafts') and 'cookery classes is not matching' (should be 'do not match'). Additionally, there is a spelling error with 'loose' (should be 'lose'). While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise control over word choice and collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the writer attempts complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('cookery classes is not matching') and article usage ('booked cooking course'). There are also issues with prepositional phrases and word order, such as 'transfer me in makeup courses'. Despite these errors, the meaning remains clear throughout the letter. To improve, the writer should focus on basic grammatical accuracy, specifically ensuring that verbs agree with their subjects and that articles are used correctly before nouns.

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

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