Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-18

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 7.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I hope this message finds you well. The purpose of my writing is to request you to take action for the cancellation of my part-time course that I have booked about two months ago.

I am currently registered in the Psychology 101, which will start offically in December. This course is mainly about cognitive disabilities such as stress, anxiety, and depression.

According to the current job contract, I was getting financial help to complete this course. However, yesterday they mentioned that this particular course is not eligible for the funds, under my employment benefits. Unfortunately, I cannot proceed with it.

However, my manager informed me that Psychology 105 is eligible and our company can pay course fees for that. I would appreciate it if you could provide me with the required details and needed information for registration.

Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

Yours sincerely,

Gurkirat Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response covers all three bullet points from the prompt thoroughly and clearly. The writer successfully identifies the booked course (Psychology 101), explains the reason for cancellation due to a lack of employment benefit funding, and asks about booking a different course (Psychology 105) with the required registration details. The tone is consistently appropriate for a formal letter to a college administrator, and the purpose of the communication is immediately clear and sustained throughout the text. All requirements of the task are fully addressed and well-developed, matching the Band 8 descriptor.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter exhibits clear logical organization and progression from stating the purpose to explaining the situation and finally inquiring about a new course. Paragraphing is used appropriately, separating distinct ideas into clear blocks of text. Cohesive devices are handled effectively overall, with good use of transitional phrases such as 'However' and 'According to the current job contract'. Although referencing is occasionally a bit repetitive (e.g., frequent use of 'this course'), the overall cohesion is smooth and facilitates easy reading, aligning well with a Band 7 descriptor.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient and flexible range of vocabulary suitable for a formal administrative request, employing terms such as 'cognitive disabilities', 'employment benefits', and 'consideration'. There are occasional slight awkwardnesses or minor inaccuracies, such as 'The purpose of my writing is to request you to take action for the cancellation' instead of a more natural phrasing, and 'start offically' containing a minor spelling slip. However, the vocabulary is more than adequate to convey precise meaning without impeding communication, earning a solid Band 6.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The writer uses a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including conditional and subordinate clauses (e.g., 'According to the current job contract, I was getting financial help...', 'I would appreciate it if you could provide me...'). There are a few minor grammatical errors, such as 'registered in the Psychology 101' (unnecessary article) and 'that I have booked about two months ago' (tense shift). Nevertheless, the majority of sentences are grammatically sound, and punctuation is well controlled throughout, representing a strong Band 7 performance.

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

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