Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-26

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 5.0)

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to enquire about a possibility of cancelling my enrollment from a part-time course at your prestigious institute.

Two weeks back, i got admission in early childhood part time course and the classes are going to on every weekends. The duraton of this course is 8 months.

Actually, i have received my canada study visa yesterday and within three months i will fly to canada to pursue my further studies. This is reason behind requestiing for the cancellation form the short course.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the course as an early-childhood part-time course and give a reason for cancelling: you have received a Canadian study visa and expect to leave within three months. However, the response addresses the task only minimally. It does not ask about booking a different course, and the cancellation request is not clearly framed as a specific action for the administrator. The explanation is brief and lacks practical details, such as whether you want a refund or how the college should confirm the cancellation. The response is also 64 words below the required minimum, which leaves too little space to develop all three points. Include a clear request about an alternative course and expand the relevant details.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The ideas follow a basic sequence: you introduce the purpose, identify the course, and then explain why you need to cancel. This gives the letter some organisation, and the reason is connected to the cancellation. However, the response ends without a closing or a transition to the required question about another course, so the overall progression feels incomplete. The second paragraph also combines course details and the reason without clearly separating the functions of each point. Use distinct paragraphs for the cancellation and the alternative-course enquiry, and add a suitable closing. These changes would make the letter easier to follow and give it a more complete structure.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for a college enquiry, including “part-time course,” “enrollment,” “classes,” and “study visa,” so the main situation is understandable. There are also attempts at more formal wording, such as “prestigious institute,” although this sounds unnecessary in a straightforward cancellation letter. Several spelling and word-choice errors reduce accuracy, including “duraton,” “requestiing,” and “form” where “from” is intended. Some phrases are also unnatural, such as “got admission in” and “a possibility of cancelling my enrollment from.” Aim for precise, natural collocations rather than ornate wording; for example, say that you “enrolled on” a course and wish to “cancel your booking.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response includes both simple statements and a longer sentence explaining your circumstances, so there is some variety in sentence structure. The main message can generally be understood, but grammatical control is uneven. For example, “the classes are going to on every weekends” is missing a verb, and “This is reason behind” needs an article and a more complete grammatical construction. The sentence beginning “Actually” also joins several ideas without clear punctuation. Capitalise “I,” use complete verb phrases such as “are held,” and check articles and singular/plural forms. More accurate sentence patterns would help you express the cancellation and course enquiry clearly.

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

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