Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-07

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 7.5)

Dear Sir,

I am writing to request the cancellation of my booking for the part-time business English course, which is due to begin next month. I enrolled in this course two weeks ago and was looking forward to improving my communication skills for my future career.

Unfortunately, I have recently been offered an important assignment that requires me to travel frequently over the next few months. As a result, I will not be able to attend the classes regularly or make the most of the course. I would therefore be grateful if you could cancel my current booking and let me know whether I am eligible for a refund or credit towards a future course.

I am still keen to study at your college once my schedule becomes less demanding. Could you please give me some advice about any part-time evening courses are likely to be available in the coming months? I would particularly appreciate information about course fees, dates, and enrollment procedures.

Thank you for your understanding. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Ahsan Amin

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response fully addresses all three bullet points of the task. You clearly identified the course (business English), provided a logical and professional reason for the cancellation (an important work assignment requiring travel), and effectively inquired about future course availability. The tone is consistently appropriate for a formal letter to an administrator. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the letter is clear from the outset. You have maintained a professional stance throughout, and all requirements of the prompt have been met with sufficient detail to satisfy the examiner.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose, moving from the request for cancellation to the explanation, and finally to the inquiry about future options. Cohesive devices such as 'Unfortunately', 'As a result', and 'I would therefore be grateful' are used effectively to link sentences and ideas. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the transition between the explanation of the cancellation and the request for future information is smooth. The structure is coherent and easy to follow throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for a formal business context. Phrases such as 'request the cancellation', 'enrolled in', 'eligible for a refund', and 'less demanding' are used accurately. The language is natural and precise, fitting the formal tone required for this task. There are no significant errors in word choice or collocation. While the vocabulary is functional and accurate, it could be slightly more sophisticated to reach the highest band, but it is certainly sufficient for a high-scoring response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The writing displays a high level of grammatical control. You have used a variety of complex sentence structures, such as 'I am writing to request...', 'I would therefore be grateful if you could...', and 'Could you please give me some advice about any part-time evening courses that are likely to be available...'. The grammar is accurate, and there are no noticeable errors in punctuation or syntax. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and the control over verb tenses and modal verbs is excellent, contributing to a very clear and professional message.

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

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