Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-05

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,

My name is Veena. I am writing this email to withdraw from a part-time course.

I have recently booked a part-time course in business administration for this summer. This course is very beneficial to upgrade my skill set.

I would like to cancel this course due to some emergency in my work. Initially I thought I can manage both my work and course simultaneously but due to sudden change in my working hours I will not be able to take the course.

Instead, I would like to register an online course in business analytics which can be attend through online and which helps me to manage both my work and study. I would like to know whether it is possible to transfer my fee to the mentioned course. Please kindly let me know if you need any further details for the cancellation of the course and also about my new course registration.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Y.Veena.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly identified the business administration course, provided a plausible reason for cancellation (a change in work hours), and inquired about transferring to a business analytics course. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to an administrator. To reach a higher band, you could provide more specific details, such as the course code or the dates of the original booking, to make the request more professional and realistic. Overall, the response is well-focused and meets all requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose, moving from the purpose of the letter to the explanation and finally the request. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'Instead', and 'also' to link your thoughts. However, the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that the transition between the cancellation and the new request is smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the letter follows a standard formal structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'withdraw', 'upgrade my skill set', and 'simultaneously'. There are some minor issues with collocation and word choice, such as 'can be attend through online', which should be 'can be attended online'. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. Incorporating more precise professional terminology related to course administration would enhance your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors. For example, 'Initially I thought I can manage' should be 'Initially I thought I could manage' (sequence of tenses), and 'which can be attend through online' contains a passive voice error. Additionally, 'due to some emergency in my work' is slightly unnatural; 'due to an unforeseen work emergency' would be better. Despite these errors, they do not impede communication, and your control of basic grammar is generally sound.

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

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