Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-08-07

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 EEC Tutor,

I hope you are doing well. The purpose of my email is to discontinue the French-speaking course I recently opted for due to a change in my schedule and would prefer to attend it in the following term.

The sole reason behind it is that my job has put me up for a project in Dubai, so I have to shift immediately this week. Getting started with this course is important to me for my Permanent Resident application for France, but this shift has put me behind with the class timings conducted in Indian time zones.

Also, could you let me know if you can provide me with special classes for my time zone of Dubai? If there is any difference in the fees, I would be ready to accept it.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Regards

Sam Willey

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have addressed all three bullet points: explaining the situation, stating your preference to defer, and asking for advice. However, the response is 143 words long, which falls short of the 150-word minimum requirement. This under-length impacts your score as the task is not fully completed according to instructions. To improve, ensure you expand on your ideas; for instance, you could provide more detail about your current work commitments or ask more specific questions regarding the administrative process for deferring your enrollment. While the tone is appropriate for a formal letter, the lack of sufficient length prevents a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. You use paragraphing effectively to separate the explanation of your situation from your request for advice. Cohesive devices such as 'The sole reason behind it is' and 'Also' help guide the reader through your points. However, the transitions between sentences could be more sophisticated to improve the flow. The overall structure is clear, and the purpose of the email is immediately apparent to the reader, which is a strength of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, using terms like 'discontinue', 'opted for', and 'Permanent Resident application'. These choices are appropriate for a formal email. There are no significant spelling or word-choice errors that impede communication. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise collocations or less common vocabulary. For example, instead of saying 'put me up for a project', you could use 'assigned to a project'. Your current vocabulary is functional and clear, which is sufficient for this level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

Your grammar is generally accurate, and you use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. For instance, 'Getting started with this course is important to me for my Permanent Resident application for France, but this shift has put me behind...' is a well-constructed compound-complex sentence. There are minor issues, such as 'shift immediately this week' which sounds slightly unnatural, and 'time zone of Dubai' could be phrased more idiomatically as 'Dubai time zone'. Overall, your control of grammar is good, and errors do not interfere with the reader's understanding of your message.

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

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