Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-08-15

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 7.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to request a deferral to next term for my evening course that I recently enrolled at your university. I was really excited to join classes next month. But suddenly, an unforeseen family urgency has come up. Therefore, I will not be able to continue.

Actually, my father has been transferred to another city for next few months as he serves in the military. His job placements change frequently. My whole family is moving next month so I cannot stay alone at home. Because I am unable to handle everything on my own.

I have been interested in Graphics for many years. Unfortunately, due to financial conditions I could not take course. It closely aligns with my current job as a visual presenter at an IT software company. Hence, it is a great opportunity for me to improve my skills and grow professionally.

Your suggestion would be appreciated on what I should do to hold my seat for next term. What criteria to follow and what documents are needed to enroll in next term course?

I hope you understand. I look forward to a prompt response from you.

Yours sincerely,

Raman

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response covers all three bullet points effectively. You clearly explain the situation regarding your family's relocation and your inability to attend the course. You state your desire to defer your enrollment to the next term and ask relevant questions about the process. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter. To reach a higher band, ensure that the connection between your personal circumstances and the request is more concise, as the explanation regarding your interest in Graphics is slightly tangential to the primary goal of deferring your current enrollment. However, the task requirements are fully met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a formal closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Therefore', 'Actually', and 'Hence' to link ideas. However, the transition between the explanation of your family situation and your interest in the course could be smoother. Some sentences are a bit short and choppy, which slightly affects the flow. Using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that referencing is consistent would help improve the overall cohesion of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary suitable for a formal request, such as 'deferral', 'unforeseen', 'aligns', and 'professionally'. There are some minor collocation issues, such as 'family urgency' (better as 'family emergency') and 'take course' (missing an article: 'take the course'). You also use 'next term course' which is slightly awkward. Despite these minor inaccuracies, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly and precisely. To improve, focus on more natural collocations and ensure articles are used correctly with nouns.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'enrolled at your university' (should be 'enrolled in'), 'for next few months' (missing 'the'), and 'Because I am unable to handle everything on my own' (this is a sentence fragment). While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication. You have good control over basic structures, but to achieve a higher band, you should aim for more error-free complex sentences and ensure that your punctuation and sentence boundaries are consistently accurate.

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

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