Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I hope you are doing well. I am Thilan Senawirathna who follows the third year geology course. I am writing to ask if you could cancel my booking for the part-time course that I booked last month. I registered for the Advanced Geology course since it is more interesting to me and also related to me.

Unfortunately, I am unable to attend to the course due to the industrial training. I have to start my industrial training programme next month.In addition to that, I have to fly to Perth and stay there for three months. Therefore, I believe I cannot attend to the full course.

If possible, I would like to join for the Physics course. Also, I am interested in the Python course that held online. I believe I can join on weekends for the course. I would be happy to discuss alternative arrangements. Furthermore, I would greatly appreciate your assistance to find good course for me. Thank you for considering my request.

Kind regards.

Thilan Senawirathna.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

You address all three requirements clearly: you identify the Advanced Geology course, explain that industrial training and a three-month stay in Perth prevent attendance, and ask about Physics and an online Python course. The reason for cancelling is specific and relevant, and the polite request to discuss alternatives suits a letter to a college administrator. The main point to clarify is what you want the administrator to do about the alternative courses: for example, ask whether you can transfer your booking to Physics or enrol in Python instead, and indicate which is your preference. This would make the final request more decisive and fully develop the choice you raise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter has a clear progression from the cancellation request, to the explanation, and then to possible alternatives. Paragraphing supports this sequence, and linking expressions such as “Unfortunately,” “Therefore,” and “Furthermore” help connect the ideas. The overall organisation is easy to follow, although some transitions feel formulaic or add little: “In addition to that” repeats the reason rather than developing a new point, while “Also” and “Furthermore” cluster in the final paragraph. The relationship between your interest in Physics and Python could also be made clearer. Group the alternatives into a direct question and use fewer, more purposeful linking phrases to make the flow smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range for this formal request, including relevant terms such as “booking,” “industrial training programme,” “alternative arrangements,” and “considering my request.” These choices make the purpose and context clear. Some word combinations are inaccurate or unnatural, however, as in “related to me,” “attend to the course,” and “find good course.” “I am Thilan Senawirathna who follows the third year geology course” is also an awkward way to introduce your background. These slips do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision and naturalness. Practise common collocations for enrolment, attendance, and course changes, and choose wording that expresses your intended relationship to the subject directly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and more complex forms, including the reason clause “since it is more interesting to me” and the conditional request “If possible, I would like to join…”. Most sentences communicate their meaning, and the sequence of events is understandable. Some grammatical errors remain, including “I am Thilan Senawirathna who follows…” (an awkward relative-clause construction), “I am unable to attend to the course,” and “the Python course that held online,” which needs a passive verb form. There is also a missing space after the full stop in “next month.In addition.” Review verb patterns after “attend,” relative clauses, and passive constructions; these corrections would improve accuracy while preserving your range.

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