Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-10-06
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)
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing this letter to enquire about the course which I have enrolled recently in your institute.
I have recently registered for SQL course for upgrading my skills at your academy. Unfotunately, I am quite busy with deployment activities which have tight deadlines at my workplace this month. Due to this reason, I am not able to take out enough time to complete my course.
I would like you to shift my course from offline classes to online classes in where I can save my commuting time. Additionally, I am getting exhausted after working entire day. Therefore, I believe this would be the best option to resume my studies.
Could you please adviced me on this matter if it is a right way to approach. I hope you understand my situation and I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Afrah Unissa.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5
The letter explains the main reason you cannot continue: work deployment activities with tight deadlines and exhaustion after a full day. It also proposes a change to online study and asks for advice, so the reader can understand the general situation. However, the request does not match the task’s central aim: you say you want to switch from offline to online classes, rather than asking to defer the course until next term. This leaves the intended study plan unclear and means the task is only minimally addressed. Develop the request directly—for example, ask whether your enrolment can be postponed and whether you can rejoin the same course next term. You could also clarify whether online study is an alternative or an additional request.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The letter has a clear overall arrangement: an opening purpose, an explanation of your circumstances, a proposed solution, and a closing request. Paragraphing helps separate these functions, and connectors such as “Due to this reason” and “Additionally” show how the ideas relate. The progression is generally easy to follow, although the shift from being unable to continue to requesting online classes is not fully explained, and the final question is somewhat unclear. Make the relationship between your circumstances and your preferred action explicit, then state the advice you need in a direct question. This would make the cohesion less mechanical and the request easier for the recipient to respond to.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a formal course-related letter, including “deployment activities,” “tight deadlines,” “commuting time,” and “resume my studies.” These choices communicate the situation, though some expressions are inaccurate or unnatural, and spelling errors such as “Unfotunately” reduce precision. “Offline classes” may also be less suitable than “in-person classes” in this context. Aim for more natural collocations and accurate spelling, particularly in the request: “adviced me” is not the correct form for asking someone to give advice. More precise wording would help distinguish postponing enrolment from changing the mode of study.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
The letter includes a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as “Due to this reason, I am not able to take out enough time…” and “Additionally, I am getting exhausted after working entire day.” Most sentences remain understandable, but some grammatical errors affect accuracy. In “in where I can save my commuting time,” the relative construction is incorrect; use “where I could save time on commuting” or recast the sentence. “Could you please adviced me” should be “Could you please advise me,” and “after working entire day” needs an article: “after working an entire day.” The final question also needs clearer sentence structure. Check verb forms, articles, and clause construction when proofreading.
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