Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-04

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 or Madam,

I hope you are doing well.

I am writing to request a cancel my part-time course that I recently booked at a college.

I booked cookery course after recommending by my friend last week. This is because I want to improve my cooking skills and boos my confidence. I would also like to learn different kinds of recipes by attending classes. Therefore I enrolled in this small cookery course.

Unfortunately, I have to cancel this booking because course fees are very high, so I cannot afford it. I have seen an online advertisement on this same course that offer around 25 % discount, so I am planning to book this course online.

I would like to inquire about another courses like sports courses such as cricket, volleyball, or badminton. Please let me know if any sports courses are available.

Thank you for your time and understanding.

Yours faithfully,

Khushbu Patel

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points of the prompt: identifying the course, explaining the reason for cancellation, and inquiring about alternative courses. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to an administrator. However, the development of ideas is somewhat basic. For instance, the explanation for the cancellation is clear, but the transition to asking about other courses could be more naturally integrated. The purpose of the letter is clear from the outset, and the reader is left with no ambiguity regarding the writer's intentions. To reach a higher band, ensure that the connection between the cancellation and the request for a new course is more fluidly linked.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, with each paragraph focusing on a specific requirement of the task. The use of cohesive devices such as 'Therefore', 'Unfortunately', and 'However' helps to guide the reader through the text. While the progression of ideas is generally smooth, some of the linking is slightly mechanical. For example, the transition between the reason for booking the course and the reason for cancelling it could be improved with more sophisticated signposting. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate, and the letter follows a standard formal structure, which makes it easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their message clearly. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'request a cancel' (should be 'request a cancellation') and 'boos my confidence' (should be 'boost'). The phrase 'after recommending by my friend' is also grammatically awkward; it would be more natural to say 'on the recommendation of a friend'. While the range is sufficient to complete the task, there is limited use of less common or more sophisticated vocabulary. Focusing on accurate collocations and word forms will help improve this score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'I booked cookery course' (missing article 'a'), 'online advertisement on this same course that offer' (subject-verb agreement error: 'offers'), and 'another courses' (should be 'other courses'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede the overall meaning of the letter. The writer demonstrates an ability to use complex sentences, but the accuracy within these structures is inconsistent. Increasing the frequency of error-free sentences and paying closer attention to articles and pluralization will significantly improve the grammatical accuracy.

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

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