Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-27

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 5.0)

Dear Sir/Madam,

Hope you are doing well. I am writing to cancel my booking for the part time English course that I recently booked at a college. Moreover, cancel because I not have enough time to attend this course. Because I am going to Lahore for my brother wedding due to this issue I not attending this course so that's why cancel my booking. In addition to this, all my relatives and friends inside my home. Furthermore another problem is this course is very easy for me. Because this course I completed already. It would be a good idea. Tell me another part time course that I can join in the future. Perhaps it would be a good idea could you please tell me which courses are available and when I can book one. I look forward to hearing from you soon. And I pray for you always live long life and healthy.

Yours Faithfully,

Asim Javed

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the task: identifying the course, explaining the reason for cancellation, and inquiring about alternative options. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited and repetitive. For instance, you mention the wedding and the course being 'easy' as separate reasons, but the flow of these ideas is disjointed. To improve, ensure that your reasons are clearly linked and that you maintain a professional tone throughout the letter, as the current tone is slightly informal and occasionally confusing in its explanation of why you are cancelling.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The letter lacks a clear paragraph structure, which is essential for a formal letter. While you use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover', 'In addition to this', and 'Furthermore', they are often used incorrectly or to connect ideas that do not logically follow one another. The progression of ideas is somewhat erratic, making it difficult for the reader to follow your train of thought. To improve, group related ideas into distinct paragraphs: one for the cancellation and reasons, and another for the inquiry about future courses. This will significantly improve the logical flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is quite basic and repetitive. You rely heavily on simple phrases such as 'book a course' and 'good idea'. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'my brother wedding' (should be 'my brother's wedding') and 'I pray for you always live long life', which is inappropriate for a formal letter to a college administrator. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise vocabulary related to academic or administrative contexts, such as 'enrolment', 'schedule', or 'alternative options', and ensure your phrasing remains formal and professional.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede communication. Examples include 'I not have enough time', 'I not attending this course', and 'this course I completed already'. These errors involve missing auxiliary verbs and incorrect word order. Your sentence structures are mostly simple, and attempts at more complex sentences often result in grammatical inaccuracies. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and the correct use of tense, particularly when discussing future plans or past actions. Proofreading for missing 'to be' verbs would also be very beneficial.

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

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