Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-07-23

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 5.5)

Dear Sir,

I am writing this letter to request you I would like to change the course next term. My name is Harpreet Kaur, I am a student in your institute. Last year I choose the mechanical course, because my all friends are doing this course your institute. My friends and me also submitted my all documents and pay one year fee.

Explain my situation, first of all, last year when i submit my all documents after three month my mother was very sick and she has a heart problem diseases. This problem is a very big problem create my mom, because she feel very bad and do not proper work heart. That's why I do not get attend my evening class and my concentrate is not proper my studies.

Advice. Furthermore, my mother health is very important for me , that's why I advice you , please next year I attend my evening class and I complete my mechanical course. So I hope you would not disappoint me and guided properly next year.

Thank you,

Yours faithfully,

Harpreet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: explaining the situation, stating the desired outcome, and asking for advice. However, the development of these points is somewhat limited by the language used. The explanation regarding the mother's health is repetitive and lacks clarity, making it difficult for the reader to fully grasp the situation. While the purpose of the letter is clear, the tone is inconsistent and occasionally confusing, particularly in the final paragraph where the request for advice is phrased as a command ('I advice you'). To improve, ensure that each bullet point is addressed with clear, logical sentences that flow naturally.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organised into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the use of cohesive devices is very limited and sometimes mechanical. For example, the use of 'Explain my situation' and 'Advice' as headings within the body text is not appropriate for a formal letter. Transitions between sentences are often missing or awkward, such as the jump between the mother's health and the request for next year. The logical progression of ideas is frequently interrupted by grammatical errors, which makes the overall flow of the letter feel disjointed and difficult to follow at times.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is quite basic and repetitive. There are several instances of word-choice errors that impede clarity, such as 'heart problem diseases' instead of 'heart condition' and 'do not proper work heart' instead of 'is not functioning properly'. The student relies on simple, high-frequency words and struggles to express more complex ideas accurately. To reach a higher band, you should focus on learning collocations (words that naturally go together) and using more precise terminology related to health and academic situations, rather than literal translations from your native language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with verb tenses ('I choose' instead of 'I chose'), subject-verb agreement, and sentence structure. Many sentences are fragmented or run-on, such as 'My name is Harpreet Kaur, I am a student in your institute.' The misuse of 'I advice you' (using the noun instead of the verb 'advise') is a recurring error. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic structures significantly impacts the readability of the letter. Focus on mastering basic sentence construction and subject-verb agreement.

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