Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-28

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,

I am writing to request a cancellation of a part-time course that I booked at the start of this semester. I was very interested in attending the english language course available in this institute and booked it for mandatory part-time courses.

However, I realise it now that it is requiring much more attention and time that I can manage with science courses as my main subjects. This is my final year at this college and I can't afford to jeopardise my overall results with courses that are too time taking.

I would highly appreciate it if you could recommend some other courses that can be easily adjusted in my schedule. My major interests are in the subjects like psychology or biology and it would be very helpful if your suggestions are related to that.

Yours sincerely,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover all three requested points: you identify the English-language course, explain that it conflicts with the time needed for your science subjects in your final year, and ask for recommendations for another course. The reason for cancelling is relevant and reasonably clear, while your request for a different course is supported by naming psychology and biology. However, the alternative-course request is less fully developed: you could ask whether either course has a suitable timetable or how to transfer your booking. The response also falls 12 words short of the required 150, so it needs a little more detail to meet the task instructions. The main content is appropriate, but fuller development would make the letter more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall arrangement: it opens with the cancellation request, gives the reason in a separate paragraph, and ends by asking about alternatives. The contrast marker “However” helps signal the move from the original booking to the problem, and the ideas are generally easy to follow. Some connections are less smooth, particularly “I realise it now that,” which interrupts the flow, and “it would be very helpful if your suggestions are related to that,” where “that” is not a precise reference. The closing is also incomplete as a formal letter because there is no name after “Yours sincerely.” More precise linking and reference, plus a complete sign-off, would make the organisation feel more polished.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the purpose, including “request a cancellation,” “jeopardise my overall results,” and “major interests.” These choices communicate the situation and show an attempt to use more formal language. Some expressions are inaccurate or unnatural, however: “booked it for mandatory part-time courses” does not clearly express what you mean, and “too time taking” is not a natural collocation. “English” also needs a capital letter, and “in this institute” is less idiomatic than “at this college.” These issues do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, but more precise collocations and consistent formal phrasing would improve control and flexibility.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including the subordinate clause “if you could recommend some other courses” and the reason introduced by “as.” Most of the message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors are noticeable. For example, “I realise it now that it is requiring” has an incorrect clause pattern and tense; “I realise now that it requires” would be clearer. In “more attention and time that I can manage,” the comparison needs “than,” and “courses … as my main subjects” is not formed clearly. The sentence structures are varied enough for the task, but checking clause construction, tense choice, and comparative forms would make the writing more accurate.

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

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