Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear Mr Smith,

My name is Shabnam, dweller of Barnala. I am penning down this epistle to request you to cancel my booking for a part-time computer course. I booked 3 months part-time computer course but unfortunately, I am no longer be a part of this course.

I really wanted to attend this course because I wanted to improve my computer skills whereas due to clash of my chemistry lab class at the same time is not allowing me to attend this course because I can not attend both classes at the same time. I was not aware that the timings of chemistry and computer classes are at the same time due to which I made this mistake.

There are various other part-time courses that are available during evening, so I want to enroll my name in Physical education part-time course. Could you please withdraw my name from computer classes and submit my request to attend Physical education instead?

Waiting for a positive response from your side.

Yours Sincerely,

Shabnam Sharma

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all three bullet points: identifying the course, explaining the reason for cancellation, and requesting a transfer. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, although the opening salutation 'Dear Mr Smith' contradicts the instruction to begin with 'Dear Sir or Madam'. The ideas are clear and the purpose of the letter is immediately evident. To reach a higher band, ensure that all instructions, including formatting requirements like the opening salutation, are strictly followed to maintain professional consistency throughout the correspondence.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized into distinct paragraphs, each serving a clear purpose. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat basic and occasionally repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'because' and 'at the same time'. While the paragraphing is appropriate, the transition between the explanation of the conflict and the request for a new course could be smoother. Improving the variety of linking words would enhance the overall flow and coherence of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, though it leans towards being slightly informal or unnatural in places. Phrases like 'penning down this epistle' are overly flowery and inappropriate for a standard business letter. There are also some minor collocation issues, such as 'enroll my name in'. While the meaning is always clear, the range of vocabulary is somewhat limited. Using more precise, professional terminology would help convey a more polished and natural tone suitable for academic or administrative communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'I am no longer be a part of' (should be 'I will no longer be') and 'due to clash of my chemistry lab class... is not allowing me' (a fragmented structure). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and avoiding run-on sentences would significantly improve the grammatical accuracy of the writing.

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

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