Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-09-30
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 or Madam,
My name is Maksud Makek, I am writing to bring to your attention that I cannot continue my evening course and would like to defer it to the next term.
To begin with, I have started to work as part-time worker at the Tim Hortons to earn some money, so I can pay my tution fees for next term. In addition, I usually work in evening as my most of remaining courses are in the morning. As a result, I cannot attend the evening course due to my work and it is affecting my grades.
Therefore, I have planned to withdraw my 6 pm to 9pm course to next semester in the morning session. However, I can still continue my rest of the morning classes in the current term.
As a program coordinator, I would kindly request you to provide me assistance with whom should I talk about this issue and if kindly possible can you help with the course defer process.
Thank you for considering my request.
Yours sincerely,
Mkasud
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0
The response successfully covers all parts of the prompt. You clearly explain your situation by stating that you have started working as a part-time worker at Tim Hortons to pay your tuition fees. You also clearly state what you would like to do about your studies, which is to defer your evening course to the next term, and you effectively ask for advice and assistance on how to process this change. Your purpose is evident from the opening paragraph, and a consistent, polite tone is maintained throughout the letter. To reach a higher band, you could develop your ideas further by providing more precise details about how the timing of your new job conflicts with the course schedule, ensuring that all points are fully expanded rather than briefly stated.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0
Your letter demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct function: the introduction states the purpose, the second paragraph explains the situation, the third outlines your preferred action, and the final paragraph seeks advice and assistance. You use cohesive devices appropriately to guide the reader, such as 'To begin with', 'In addition', and 'As a result'. Paragraphing is handled well, ensuring the letter is easy to follow. To achieve a higher level of cohesion, you could ensure that referencing and transitions between sentences are even more seamless and varied, avoiding slightly mechanical connectors.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for a general correspondence task, using terms like 'defer', 'tuition fees', and 'program coordinator'. However, there are some lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices, such as writing 'part-time worker at the Tim Hortons' instead of simply 'a part-time worker at Tim Hortons', and writing 'my rest of the morning classes' instead of 'the rest of my morning classes'. To reach the next band, you should aim to incorporate less common lexical items with greater precision and demonstrate a stronger awareness of natural collocations and phrasing in formal English.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over structures such as 'I am writing to bring to your attention that I cannot continue...' and '...if kindly possible can you help with the course defer process.' There are some grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, including the omission or misuse of articles, such as 'work in evening' instead of 'work in the evening', and a spelling mistake in your sign-off ('Mkasud'). To improve your grammar score, you need to produce a higher proportion of error-free sentences and pay closer attention to articles, prepositions, and punctuation in complex structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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