Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-03

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 or Madam,

I am writing to let you know that I want to cancel my booking for the part-time course that I had booked recently.

Let me explain in detail. I had booked a course in the subject of Oral Medicine because I thought this will help me in diagnosing oral diseases in the out patient department of the hospital. However, now I have changed my mind, and I would want to book a different course.

I want to cancel my booking for this course, as I think it woud be of liitle benefit for me in the final professional examination where oral medicine has just a weightage of 5%.

Would you kindly allow me to book a course in Maxillofacial Prosthodontics? This is the core subject of our final year professional examination. I think that taking this course will not only enhance my theoretical skills but it will also allow me to gain clinical expertise under the supervision of distinguished professors.

Thank you for your consideration.

Yours faithfully,

Sara Qureshi

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.5

The response covers all parts of the task very well and maintains an appropriate tone throughout. The specific part-time course is clearly identified as Oral Medicine, the reason for cancellation is thoroughly explained through academic relevance and examination weightage, and a clear request is made to book an alternative course in Maxillofacial Prosthodontics. The ideas are well-developed and presented with a clear purpose from beginning to end. To reach the highest level, the explanation could include even more nuanced detail regarding the scheduling logistics or administrative policies of the college, but overall, the task is handled exceptionally well and satisfies all prompt requirements seamlessly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. The response is divided into appropriate paragraphs, each serving a distinct function such as introducing the purpose of the letter, explaining the cancellation, and proposing an alternative. Cohesive devices are used adequately and appropriately, as seen with transitional phrases like 'However, now I have changed my mind' and 'not only enhance my theoretical skills but it will also allow me'. Referencing is generally clear, though paragraphing and the flow of ideas could be slightly more sophisticated to bridge the gap to higher bands. Overall, the text is easy to follow and structured in a professional manner suitable for a formal letter to a college administrator.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.5

The writer demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary with some flexibility and precision, successfully employing less common professional terms such as 'diagnosing oral diseases', 'out patient department', and 'Maxillofacial Prosthodontics'. There is a good awareness of formal style appropriate for a college administrator. However, there are occasional lexical inaccuracies and spelling errors, such as 'woud' instead of 'would', 'liitle' instead of 'little', and 'out patient' written as two words instead of 'outpatient'. These minor slips prevent the vocabulary from reaching a higher descriptor tier, yet the range remains adequate for the task and communicates the intended meaning without causing confusion for the reader.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.5

The response exhibits a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over grammatical structures such as conditional and subordinate clauses (e.g., 'as I think it would be of little benefit for me in the final professional examination where oral medicine has just a weightage of 5%'). Punctuation is generally handled well, and verb tenses are managed accurately across past and present contexts. There are a few minor grammatical lapses, such as unnecessary article usage in 'a weightage' instead of 'a weighting' or simply 'weightage'. Despite these occasional errors, there are frequent error-free sentences, and the grammar never impedes communication.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.