Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-11

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,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to cancel my booking for a part time course which I booked recently.

My name is Sonia and I enrolle in a part time course at our college Pacific Rim, at Victoria campus. The name of the course is Criminology with professor Ashley Brown.

I need to cancel my booking for this course as the classes are available on Monday and Friday only. I noticed this after the payment. Actually, this semester I am doing all of my couses on Tuesday and Thursay which does not fit in my schedule. Therefore, I need to cancel my booking for this course.

Moreover, I would love to book a different course. I need couses regarding Political study of Canada, English litrature or Asia. I would really appreciate if you can help me to book an another subject for me from the course list provided or any other if available.

Hope to hear back from you and thank you for your assistance. Enjoy rest of your day.

Yours faithfully,

Sonia

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The letter clearly covers all three requested points. You identify the booking as Criminology at the Victoria campus, explain that its Monday and Friday classes conflict with your Tuesday–Thursday schedule, and ask for help finding a different course, naming several areas of interest. The reason for cancelling is relevant and easy to understand, and the request is polite. To make the response more fully developed, specify whether you would like the administrator to recommend available options or transfer your booking, and perhaps mention a preferred timetable. The course details are useful, although the professor’s name is less important than clarifying what action you want the college to take. Overall, the purpose and intended outcome remain clear throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information follows a clear, sensible sequence: you introduce the cancellation, give the course details, explain the scheduling conflict, and then ask about alternatives. Separate paragraphs help the reader follow each stage, and linking expressions such as “Therefore” and “Moreover” make the relationships between ideas clear. The closing is also appropriate for a formal letter. Some connections are a little mechanical or repetitive: the need to cancel is stated in both the opening and the explanation paragraph, and “Moreover” is not essential when moving to the new request. You could improve flow by combining repeated information and using a more direct transition, such as “I would also like to enquire about…”.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the situation and make a specific request, including “cancel my booking,” “classes,” “schedule,” and “course list.” The subject areas also make your preferences clear. However, spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable, including “enrolle,” “couses,” “Thursay,” and “litrature,” and some phrases are not natural in this context, such as “book an another subject” and “Political study of Canada.” These slips do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision and naturalness. Check spelling carefully and learn common course-related collocations. For example, “enrolled in a course,” “Canadian politics,” and “book a different course” would express your meaning more accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, and the reason for cancelling is expressed clearly through a cause-and-effect structure: “as the classes are available…” followed by “Therefore…”. Most sentences are understandable, and the letter’s formal opening and closing are handled appropriately. Some grammatical errors remain. For example, “I enrolle in a part time course” needs the past-tense form “enrolled,” while “I would really appreciate if” requires “I would really appreciate it if.” In “book an another subject,” the article pattern is incorrect; use “book another course.” Aim to proofread verb forms, articles, and sentence patterns, while continuing to use complex sentences to explain your reasons and requests.

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

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