Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-08-27
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)
Respected sir,
I have applied for the cooking course.I was ecastic about this course.I have summer vacations.I plan to learn this skill.As you know I am in teaching profession.
All of sudden my principal told me I have to join a professional training by my institute.My whole is ruined to attend the cooking class.I need your kind suggestion if I couldn't do it this month, will I be able to join this next month.
But school will reopen next week.I will be only available in the evening.Do you offer evening classes too.If yes I would love to join them.If not can you guide me about the refund policy.I have already submitted the fees for cooking course.But then I came to know that I have English proficiency training.It wil be very challenging for me to continue.
I hope you will come up with the best solution. Hoping for the best..
Regards
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers all three bullet points: the situation is explained, the desired outcome is stated, and advice is requested. However, the development of ideas is somewhat disjointed. The narrative jumps between the cooking course, the teaching profession, and the training requirement, which makes the sequence of events slightly confusing. For instance, mentioning the 'summer vacations' and then immediately stating 'school will reopen next week' creates a contradiction that hinders clarity. While the task requirements are met, the tone is inconsistent, and the logical flow of the explanation could be more structured to ensure the reader fully understands the conflict between the course and the professional training.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The letter lacks a clear paragraph structure, which makes it difficult to follow the progression of ideas. The sentences are often short and choppy, and there is a lack of cohesive devices to link them effectively. For example, the transition between the cooking course and the professional training is abrupt. While the letter is understandable, the lack of logical paragraphing and the repetitive use of simple sentence structures mean that the cohesion is somewhat mechanical. To improve, you should group related ideas into distinct paragraphs—one for the situation, one for the request, and one for the inquiry—and use linking words like 'however', 'consequently', or 'furthermore'.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is quite limited and repetitive. You use basic phrasing such as 'I have applied for' and 'I would love to join'. There are also some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'My whole is ruined' (which is grammatically incomplete and unnatural) and 'kind suggestion' (where 'advice' or 'guidance' would be more appropriate). While the meaning is clear, the range of vocabulary is not sufficient to demonstrate a higher level of proficiency. Incorporating more precise terminology related to course enrollment and professional commitments would improve your score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writing contains a mix of simple sentence structures with frequent grammatical errors. There are issues with punctuation (e.g., missing spaces after periods), subject-verb agreement, and tense consistency. For example, 'All of sudden my principal told me' should be 'All of a sudden', and 'It wil be' contains a spelling error. The sentence 'My whole is ruined to attend the cooking class' is structurally incorrect. While the errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to distract the reader. To reach a higher band, you should focus on sentence variety, correct article usage, and proofreading for basic mechanical errors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.