Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-11
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
The younger sister of one of your friends is thinking about spending a year studying abroad as part of her university course. You did this recently, and she has asked you about your experience.
Write a letter to your friend's sister. In your letter
tell her where you studied during your year abroad
describe what you learnt about the country you studied in
explain why your year abroad was helpful for your studies
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear........,
Student answer (Band 5.5)
Dear,
How are you?
I hope you are doing well. I got a message from Jashan that you were applied for a university course in the same country [Canada] I am in. I was happy to hear this. I am also studying in the same university you applied. It is an excellent university and also help students to get their PGWP and also offer students off-campus jobs so students can get money and fulfill their needs. The mot interesting thing is that this university also offer students to pay their fees in installments.
Moving ahead, if I talk about the country, it is the beautiful country in the world. There are 4 seasons and one of them is the most beautiful season that I like the most is fall which is in November. All over the country all the trees are different colored and are eye catching.
Lastly studying in this country are very helpful for me because I can do work with my studies and able to pay my fees by myself. I can become independent. Overall, it is your best decision to studying in a beautiful country where you can fulfill your dreams and become whatever you want to be.
I hope to see you soon. Give my best wishes to your family.
Take care,
Lovepreet.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The letter is relevant and covers the three requested points to some extent: you identify Canada, describe its seasons and autumn scenery, and explain that working while studying helped you pay your fees and become independent. However, the first point is not fully clear because you say you attend the same university as the recipient, rather than clearly stating where you studied during your year abroad. The description of what you learnt about Canada focuses mainly on the weather and trees, while the explanation of academic benefits is brief and centres on finances. Develop these ideas with specific examples, such as a study skill or cultural insight you gained. The greeting should also address the sister by name or use an appropriate form of address.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The letter has a clear overall shape, moving from an opening and information about the university to the country, the benefits of studying there, and a closing. Paragraph breaks help distinguish these topics, and signposts such as “Moving ahead” and “Lastly” make the sequence easy to follow. Some connections are mechanical or unclear, however. For example, “I got a message from Jashan that you were applied” makes the relationship between the news and the recipient’s plans difficult to follow, and the university details interrupt the account of your own experience. Use simpler, more direct links between ideas and keep each paragraph focused on one requested point. The closing is appropriate for a friendly letter.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use enough vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “off-campus jobs,” “installments,” “eye catching,” and “independent.” There are also attempts at more descriptive language, such as “beautiful” and “different colored,” but several choices are inaccurate, repetitive, or unnatural. “The mot interesting thing” contains a spelling error, while “fulfill their needs” and “the beautiful country in the world” do not express the intended ideas naturally. Repeated use of “students,” “country,” and “beautiful” also limits variety. Choose more precise expressions for the country’s features and for the academic benefits you experienced, and check spelling and common word combinations before submitting.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response includes both short sentences and attempts at longer structures, for example, “I can do work with my studies and able to pay my fees by myself.” However, some errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction make parts less natural and occasionally unclear. Examples include “you were applied,” “this university also offer,” “studying in this country are very helpful,” and “your best decision to studying.” The sentence describing autumn also has an unclear structure: “one of them is the most beautiful season that I like the most is fall.” Practise forming accurate clauses with a clear subject and verb, and check agreement and infinitive or gerund patterns. More controlled complex sentences would help express your ideas clearly.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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