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 Anna,

I hope this letter find you well. Firstly, I am glad that your sister want a study in abroad and give suggestion from me about course and country in which i am studying.

I am studied in computer science course from Algoma university which is located in downtown Brampton, Canada. This is number one ranked university and provide verity of facilities.

Canada id diverse Country. There are enormous people come from different nations and education system is too advanced and all study material are latest.

Studying abroad is helpful for me because i am not only study its provide to opportunity to earn money and maintain your expenses and pay my fees by themselves. Apart from that now i am expert in coding and have knowledge about many languages and i can easy find any professional job.

I hope this letter help your sister to find course and all the best wishes for successful future.

Kind regards,

Kiran

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: the location of study, observations about the country, and the benefits for your studies. However, the development of these points is somewhat limited. For example, while you mention Canada is diverse, the explanation is brief. The tone is generally appropriate for a letter to a friend's sister, though the opening and closing are slightly disjointed. To improve, ensure that each point is expanded with more specific detail or personal reflection to fully satisfy the requirements of a Band 7 or higher.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate, such as the transition 'Apart from that now i am expert'. Some sentences are linked poorly, making the flow feel a bit disjointed. To improve, try using a wider variety of linking words and phrases (e.g., 'Furthermore', 'Consequently', 'In addition to this') to connect your ideas more naturally and improve the overall logical progression of the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to communicate your ideas, but there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'want a study in abroad' instead of 'wants to study abroad' and 'enormous people' instead of 'a large number of people'. There are also some spelling errors like 'verity' (variety) and 'id' (is). To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise vocabulary and ensuring that your word choices are natural and grammatically correct within the context of the sentence.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter, including subject-verb agreement issues ('your sister want', 'all study material are') and tense inconsistencies ('I am studied'). While you attempt some complex sentences, they often contain errors that can occasionally cause the reader to pause. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence structures and subject-verb agreement. Proofreading your work for common errors, such as missing articles or incorrect verb forms, will significantly enhance the clarity and accuracy of your writing.

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

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