Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-09-16

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 Sir,

I am writing this to let you know that I would not be able to attend the classes of evening course due to my hectic schedule and I would like to take this same course next term.

Actually my financial condition is not quite well right now, so I have decided to join a full time work at popeye's. I live with my mother as my father just expired last year. So I have become the man of the house and all the responsibilities fall upon my shoulders. They agreed to give me work according to my availability.

My mother and I discussed the whole situation and decided to put this course on hold for the time being. She is also trying very hard to find a full time job to ease the pressure and I could continue with my studies.

I would like to get your advice on this matter because you are one the most wise and understanding persons I know. What step I should take next and what would be ideal thing to do according the situation

I am eagerly waiting for your response.

Yours sincerely,

Tom Smith.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all parts of the task well. You successfully explained the situation by mentioning your hectic schedule and financial difficulties, and you stated that you would like to take the course next term instead. Furthermore, you asked for advice about what to do next. The tone is generally appropriate for a letter, although parts of it sound a bit overly personal or dramatic for a standard professional or educational correspondence (e.g. discussing the passing of your father in such detail to an evening course instructor). However, the purpose of the letter is clear, and all bullet points from the prompt are fully addressed. Therefore, this fulfills the criteria for a solid performance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter has a logical overall progression and is divided into appropriate paragraphs to separate your points, such as explaining the background, discussing the financial situation, and asking for advice. Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, for instance using 'Actually', 'So', and 'Furthermore'. However, referencing is sometimes repetitive, and the overuse of 'so' to link clauses (e.g. 'so I have decided', 'So I have become') makes the cohesion slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is used sufficiently, and the letter format with a formal opening and closing is correctly followed.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task. You use some appropriate phrases such as 'hectic schedule', 'put this course on hold', and 'availability'. However, there are some vocabulary and phrasing issues, such as 'financial condition is not quite well' (should be 'not very good'), 'full time work' (should be 'full-time job'), and 'father just expired last year' (usually 'passed away' is more natural). There are also some minor punctuation and stylistic slips. Despite these errors, the message is communicated clearly throughout.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as using 'because you are one the most wise and understanding persons I know'. There are some grammatical errors and missing punctuation, for example, the sentence 'What step I should take next and what would be ideal thing to do according the situation' is missing an auxiliary verb order ('What steps should I take...') and a question mark at the end, and 'one the most wise' is missing 'of'. Nevertheless, these errors do not impede communication, and your meaning remains easy to follow.

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

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