Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-11-08

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You have enrolled in an evening course but you have found that you are too busy to continue and would like to take the course next term instead.

• explain the situation and why you cannot continue the course

• say what you would like to do about your studies

• ask for advice about what you can do about the situation

Student answer (Band 6.0)

Dear Sir,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to let you know that I have to discontinue my French course that I am currently taking from your Academy. I was in the evening batch.

My collegue is out of town for two months, so due to festival season, my manager gave me some extra shifts. So I am unable to attend the classes for some time. As you know, I am the only one earning in my family so I could not disregard her decision.

I would like to learn french and write my exam in January due to this situation, I will have to postpone my exam. However, from now onwards I will try to learn online from your youtube videos.

I will be really very appreciative if you can give me some advice on this situation as I am perplexed and unable to take any decision.

I look forward to hearing from you regarding this.

Regards,

Sukh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three points: you explain that extra shifts are preventing attendance, say you want to continue learning and postpone the exam, and ask the academy for advice. The reason is relevant and understandable, especially the detail that a colleague is away and you are the sole earner in your family. However, the request to take the course next term is not stated directly; instead, you mention postponing the exam and using online videos, so your intended study plan is somewhat unclear. The advice request is also general rather than focused on practical options, such as transferring your enrolment or arranging a deferral. State clearly that you wish to rejoin next term and ask what steps or fees this would involve.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall arrangement: it opens with its purpose, explains the work conflict, describes your study intentions, and closes by requesting advice. Paragraphing helps the reader follow these stages, and phrases such as “However” and “I look forward to hearing from you” support the progression. Some connections are less smooth, though. The sentence beginning “I would like to learn French” joins the exam plan and online learning in a way that makes the relationship between them unclear. Repeated use of “so” in the explanation also makes the linking feel somewhat mechanical. Use separate sentences to distinguish the immediate problem, your plan for next term, and your question about the academy’s options.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for a formal request and communicates the main situation, with useful phrases such as “discontinue my French course,” “extra shifts,” and “postpone my exam.” You also attempt more formal wording in “I will be really very appreciative” and “I am perplexed,” although these expressions are not fully natural in this context. There are a few spelling and word-choice issues, including “collegue” and the inconsistent capitalization of “French” and “YouTube.” Aim for precise, natural collocations rather than adding several intensifiers: for example, “I would be grateful if you could advise me” is more idiomatic. More specific course-related terms, such as “defer my enrolment” or “resume the course next term,” would make your request clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including a reason clause in “My colleague is out of town for two months, so…” and a conditional request with “if you can give me some advice.” The message remains understandable, but some sentence-boundary and punctuation problems reduce accuracy. In “I would like to learn French and write my exam in January due to this situation, I will have to postpone my exam,” two complete ideas are joined with only a comma, and the relationship between the plans is confusing. The opening “Dear Sir,” and closing are also not consistently punctuated as a formal letter. Break long sentences into shorter units and check that each clause is joined with a conjunction or appropriate punctuation.

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

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