Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-26

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 Sir,

I am writing this letter to request you that i want to change my course type and also cancel the previous booking.

Myself Mahek Patel and i have recently taken anadmission in the part time coding course of compture science. I am very curious for this since i have completed my class 12 so i took this decision without asking and taking suggestion from anyone. But fortunately i come to that i chose a chemical engineering course and in which this coding course have not that much necessity and importance.

Now i made a deision and want to cancel this booking and wanna be switch on the other with your allowance. In addition, i also want to know about this knew course in detailing including fee structure and course duration and timing.

I hope you will approve my request and give permission for switching.

Yours sincerely,

Mahek Patel

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The candidate successfully covers all three bullet points required in the prompt. First, they state which course was booked, mentioning the 'part time coding course of compture science'. Second, they explain the reason for cancellation, noting a change in academic direction towards chemical engineering where coding is less necessary. Third, they ask about booking a different course, requesting details on fees, duration, and timing. However, the tone fluctuates slightly and the explanation regarding the academic shift is somewhat convoluted and informal. Nonetheless, all content requirements are fulfilled, placing the response comfortably at Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter exhibits a coherent overall arrangement with a clear beginning and ending, adopting a standard letter format. Paragraphing is utilised to separate the introduction, the main body points regarding the reason for cancellation and new enquiries, and the closing statement. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical. For example, transition phrases like 'But fortunately i come to that' are awkward and impede smooth progression. Referencing and linking between sentences could be tighter and more natural. Overall, the organizational structure is adequate for a Band 6 score.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, attempting some less common words and phrases such as 'curious', 'necessity and importance', and 'fee structure'. However, there are numerous word choice errors and spelling slips throughout the text, including 'compture' instead of computer, 'anadmission' instead of admission, 'deision' instead of decision, and 'knew' instead of new. These errors do not completely impede communication because the reader can still grasp the intended meaning, but they limit the lexical score to a Band 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some variety in structure. However, there are frequent grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'request you that i want to', 'i am very curious for this since i have completed', and 'wanna be switch on the other with your allowance'. Punctuation and capitalization are also problematic, particularly the lowercase 'i' used consistently throughout the letter. While these errors cause some difficulty for the reader and reflect limited control over complex structures, communication remains intact, supporting a Band 5.0 score.

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

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