Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-26

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 sir,

I, am writing this letter to inform you that i want to cancel my part time course which I, have recently booked in your college for may intake.

I have booked Lab supervisor course in your collage which will allow me to have knowledge and also give me enough experiance to apply for supervisor at any place in my area.

I, want to cancel this course because I, have to go to my grandmother home in Indea as she is in hospital because of her age and bad health so I, have to go to see her and because of this I, will not be able to attend this course.

I, will be back in July if you have any course which provide same experiance and knowledge please let me know and is of same budge. I, will book that course in your college.

I will wait for your reply

Thank you.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: identifying the course, explaining the reason for cancellation, and inquiring about future alternatives. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, although the opening 'Dear sir' is slightly informal compared to the prompt's 'Dear Sir or Madam'. The ideas are relevant and clearly stated, though the development is somewhat basic. To reach a higher band, you could provide more specific details about the course or the desired timing for the alternative, which would demonstrate a more thorough engagement with the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of ideas. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite limited and repetitive. For example, the frequent use of 'I' at the start of sentences makes the flow feel mechanical and simplistic. There is a lack of varied linking words or transition phrases to connect ideas more fluidly. Improving the use of conjunctions and cohesive markers (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in addition') would significantly enhance the flow and coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks range and precision. There are several spelling errors, such as 'collage' instead of 'college', 'experiance' instead of 'experience', 'Indea' instead of 'India', and 'budge' instead of 'budget'. These errors are noticeable and detract from the professional tone of the letter. While the meaning remains clear, the limited vocabulary prevents a higher score. You should focus on using more precise terminology related to course administration and ensuring accurate spelling of basic and subject-specific words.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response relies heavily on simple sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with punctuation and capitalization, such as the unnecessary commas after 'I' (e.g., 'I, am writing', 'I, have booked'). Additionally, there are issues with article usage and verb tense consistency. While the errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to cause difficulty for the reader. To improve, you should practice using a wider variety of complex sentence structures and pay closer attention to basic punctuation rules and subject-verb agreement.

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

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