Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-09-09

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 6.5)

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to request noan exemption for this term evening course. My sister had an accident on the 7th July 2026 and has been hospitalised therefore she would require my assistance at the hospital. I would like to be excused from this year's course as it would be rather challenging to concentrate on my studies as a result of the trauma from hearing this sad news as it could affect my examination results. She is an orphan and incapable of taking care of herself, however I require your advice on how to handle this situation. I was wondering if I could take a break for the moment and render some help to her. In addition, I require an exemption letter from the department in order to facilitate my leave so resume next term to continue my course.

I look forward to hearing from you, I would be very grateful, if my request is granted.

Yours faithfully,

Ajawara Chidimma

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response covers all three bullet points of the task. You clearly explain the situation regarding your sister's accident, state your desire to defer the course to the next term, and ask for advice on the process. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter. However, the development of ideas is slightly repetitive, particularly regarding the impact of the news on your studies. To improve, ensure that each bullet point is distinct and fully explored without unnecessary circularity. Overall, the purpose of the letter is clear and the requirements are met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter follows a logical progression, starting with the purpose of the writing, moving to the explanation, and concluding with the request for action. Paragraphing is somewhat weak, as the entire body of the letter is contained within a single block, which makes the structure feel dense. Using cohesive devices like 'consequently' or 'furthermore' would help improve the flow between sentences. While the ideas are easy to follow, the lack of clear paragraph breaks between the explanation and the request for advice limits the score in this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms such as 'hospitalised', 'exemption', and 'facilitate'. There are some minor errors in word choice, such as 'noan exemption' (likely a typo for 'an exemption') and 'render some help', which is slightly unnatural in this context. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, but it lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. Focusing on more natural collocations will help elevate your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical slips, such as 'so resume next term' (which lacks a subject) and the comma splice in 'I look forward to hearing from you, I would be very grateful'. Punctuation is generally functional, but the run-on sentences and minor errors in verb agreement or omission of subjects indicate a need for more careful proofreading. The errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score.

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

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