Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-14

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/Madam,

I am writing this letter to request to cancel my booking for the part-time IT course starting in March 2027 at Hillwood College. The course was AUD 500 which was paid online at the booking stage.

The reason for my request is that I will be given a free IT course in next month from Mining company where I work as a tenament officer. Therefore, I will not need to attend another course which has the same content.

I would be happy to discuss alternative arrangements if I cannot get a refund for this particular course. If possible, I would prefer to book the QGIS course that starts on 2nd July 2027 instead.

Please let me know if there is anything I should do to change the course. I would be greatly appreciate your assistance on this reagards.

Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards,

Sumitha Gunatilake

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.0

You cover all three requested points clearly: you identify the part-time IT course and its start date, explain that your employer is providing equivalent training, and ask to switch to the QGIS course. The reason for cancelling is relevant and sufficiently explained, while the alternative arrangement is made specific by naming its start date. Your request also appropriately leaves room for a refund or transfer, which makes the purpose of the letter clear. To make the response even more complete, clarify whether you are requesting a refund first or would prefer the course transfer, since “if I cannot get a refund” makes your preferred outcome slightly uncertain. Overall, the content is well developed and suited to a formal request.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

The letter follows a clear progression: cancellation request, explanation, alternative course, and closing request. Paragraphing separates these functions effectively, and linking expressions such as “Therefore” and “If possible” help the reader follow the relationship between your reason and your proposed solution. The sequence is logical and the purpose remains clear throughout. Some connections could be made more precise: “I would be happy to discuss alternative arrangements if I cannot get a refund” is followed by a specific course preference, but the relationship between a refund and a transfer is not entirely clear. A more direct transition, such as stating that you would prefer a transfer if a refund is unavailable, would make the cohesion more flexible and exact.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

Your vocabulary is adequate for a formal college letter, and phrases such as “request to cancel my booking,” “alternative arrangements,” and “greatly appreciate your assistance” show awareness of an appropriately polite register. The course names and payment detail are also expressed clearly. However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, including “given a free IT course,” “in next month,” and “on this reagards.” “Tenament officer” also appears to be an inaccurate spelling or occupational term, which may distract the reader. These issues do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision and naturalness. Aim to use conventional administrative phrasing, such as “offered a free course” and “next month,” and proofread spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including the reason clause beginning “The reason for my request is that…” and the conditional “if I cannot get a refund.” Several sentences are clear and grammatically controlled, and the overall meaning is easy to follow. A few errors remain in sentence construction and grammatical patterns. For example, “request to cancel” is less well formed than “request cancellation” or “request that you cancel,” while “I would be greatly appreciate” incorrectly combines “would” with the verb form “appreciate.” In “I will be given a free IT course in next month,” the time phrase needs a different construction. Correcting these patterns would strengthen the otherwise clear control of varied sentences.

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