Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-28

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

I would like to inform you that I am going to cancel my part- time course in computer science at your U Ottawa college. I am almost ready to complete this course after two months, and it is also related to my prior studies. But my grandmother is critically ill, and the doctor said that she has to rest for six months. My parents are living in abroad from last two years, and it is very hard for them to come back.

So right now I am the only mature one in the family to take care of her. I am very excited about my course because I got second rank in the aptitude test for this particular study, but unfortunately I have to drop it.

I also applied for hospitality and tourism course at this campus for next year. I request you to send me the link to the course update so that I can review the timetable and fee structure.

Your sincerely

Mandeep Takkhi

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly identified the course (computer science), provided a logical and personal reason for the cancellation (family emergency), and made a specific request regarding a future course (hospitality and tourism). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to an administrator. The ideas are well-developed and relevant to the task requirements. To reach a higher band, ensure that the opening and closing salutations are perfectly aligned with the prompt's instructions (e.g., 'Dear Sir or Madam' was provided, but you used 'Dear sir').

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized into distinct paragraphs, each serving a clear purpose. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use some cohesive devices such as 'but', 'so', and 'also', which help link your sentences. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat basic. To improve, try to incorporate a wider variety of linking words or phrases to create smoother transitions between sentences, such as 'consequently', 'furthermore', or 'in light of this'. Overall, the structure is clear and serves the purpose of the letter well.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task. Phrases like 'critically ill', 'aptitude test', and 'fee structure' are used correctly and fit the formal context. There are some minor errors, such as 'living in abroad' (should be 'living abroad') and 'mature one' (which is slightly informal; 'responsible family member' would be better). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your message clearly, it lacks the more sophisticated or precise collocations that would characterize a higher band score. Focus on refining word choices to sound more natural and professional.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors that persist. For example, 'living in abroad from last two years' should be 'has been living abroad for the last two years'. Additionally, 'Your sincerely' is a common error; it should be 'Yours sincerely'. There are also minor punctuation and capitalization issues (e.g., 'sir' should be 'Sir'). While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading and a stronger grasp of verb tenses and formal letter conventions.

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

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