Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-04
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 Tanya,
I am writing you this letter to share my experience of abroad study.It was about 1 year ago I got addmission in University of Toronto,Canada and my course was Bachelor of Law as I want to become successful lawyer in my future that's why I selected that course.The campus of University was very amazing even it had plenty of facilities for students.
I learnt too many things while studying in Canada.The first thing is that Canada is a very good country for students who want to study abroad even it gives good job opportunities after study.Second thing is that all the students should do work at own without anyone's help.
Students can make better future even Cadana has plenty of places for visit.All the people are kind and humble and stands for everybody to help them in any situation.Atmosphere is also very amazing in Canada.
This abroad study will very helpful for my future because as I mentioned earlier,I really want to become a lawyer in future.So it will make my better future and I will get chance to work in Canada even I can fulfill my dream.
I think you should also select this University for your further studies.I hope you will enjoy and fulfill your dream.
Yours lovingly,
Tina shah.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
You have addressed all three bullet points of the task: you mentioned studying at the University of Toronto, described the Canadian environment and people, and explained the benefits for your law studies. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, when explaining why the year was helpful for your studies, you repeat the phrase 'become a lawyer' multiple times rather than detailing specific academic skills or experiences gained. To reach a higher band, try to provide more concrete examples of what you actually did during your course or how the international perspective specifically enhanced your legal knowledge.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The letter is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your points. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. You rely heavily on simple transitions like 'The first thing is' and 'Second thing is'. To improve, try using a wider variety of linking words and phrases, such as 'Furthermore', 'In addition to this', or 'Consequently'. Additionally, some sentences are slightly disjointed, and the flow between ideas could be smoother if you used more complex referencing to connect your thoughts across sentences.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You use basic descriptors like 'very amazing' and 'good' repeatedly, which limits the impact of your writing. There are also some minor errors in word choice, such as 'addmission' (spelling) and 'do work at own' (should be 'work independently'). To improve, focus on using more descriptive adjectives and precise collocations related to academic and professional life, rather than relying on general-purpose words.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You demonstrate a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. Common issues include missing articles (e.g., 'in University of Toronto'), incorrect verb forms, and run-on sentences. For example, 'It was about 1 year ago I got addmission' would be better as 'It was about a year ago that I was admitted'. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall fluency of the text.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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