Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-01

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 Madam,

my name is pooja and I recentaly, booked for ECEA program in your college. but due to lack of bus services in my area i am not able to come to the college because when i booked my exam it says it will be in online form, but now due to some changes in college policies it changed to the in person classes. Now please its a humble request to change my course to the biology course because its going online classes and its suitable for my self interest as well and its tution fees is also very less than the ECEA one . and it has the good job oppertunities in the study of biology. and right now i am working in a hospital as a receptionist they want to promote me but its important to have a certificate of biology classes.

i am very thankful to you if you change my course.

pooja

my email: pooja@123

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: identifying the course, explaining the cancellation due to transport and policy changes, and requesting a transfer to a biology course. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat informal and lacks the professional tone expected in a formal letter to a college administrator. The explanation regarding the change from online to in-person classes is a bit repetitive, and the justification for the biology course, while relevant, could be more concisely expressed. To improve, ensure the tone remains consistently formal and professional throughout the correspondence.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The letter is presented as a single block of text rather than using clear paragraphing. In formal letter writing, it is essential to separate the introduction, the body (the explanation and request), and the closing into distinct paragraphs. While the ideas follow a logical sequence, the lack of paragraphing makes the text feel cluttered. Additionally, the use of cohesive devices is limited; the letter relies heavily on 'and' and 'but' to connect ideas. Using a wider range of linking words such as 'consequently', 'furthermore', or 'therefore' would significantly improve the flow and structure of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the reader to understand the intent. However, there are several spelling errors, such as 'recentaly' instead of 'recently' and 'oppertunities' instead of 'opportunities'. The phrasing is often simplistic, such as 'its tution fees is also very less'. Using more precise academic or professional vocabulary would enhance the quality of the letter. For instance, instead of saying 'it changed to the in person classes', a more formal alternative would be 'the delivery method was transitioned to face-to-face instruction'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors, particularly regarding punctuation, capitalization, and sentence structure. Many sentences are run-on, lacking proper full stops, and there are issues with subject-verb agreement, such as 'its tution fees is'. The use of articles is inconsistent, and the capitalization of 'pooja' and 'ECEA' is incorrect. While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of errors in basic sentence construction and punctuation prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for basic errors and using a variety of sentence structures would be beneficial.

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

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