Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-07
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 SISTER ,
HOW ARE YOU ? I HOPE EVERYTHING IS GOING GREAT WITH YOU .
I AM WRITING THIS LETTER TO TELL YOU THAT , I JUST MET YOUR ELDER SISTER IN EXHIBITION A WEEK AGO AND SHE TOLD ME WHILE OUR CONVERSATION THAT YOU WANT TO ENROLL A
1 YEAR UNIVERSITY COURSE IN ABROAD IN A HEALTHCARE AS I DID BEFORE .
WELL I COMPLETED MY GRADUATION FROM BRAMPTON UNIVERSITY IN CANADA A 2 YEAR AGO IN 2024 AND IT ABOUT TO TAKE 1 YEAR FOR GRADUATION . DURING MY YEAR I LEARNT VARIOUS TYPE OF FUNCTION WHICH HELPFUL IN MY POST GRADUATION AND RELATED TO MY HEALTHCARE FIELD SUCH AS , HOW TO MANAGE DIGITAL DATA ANALYSIS IN HEALTHCARE FOR GAIN MORE PROFIT FOR HOSPITAL FROM FUND.
AS WELL AS CRITICAL EMERGENCY SKILLS WHILE WORKING IN ICU WITH LIVE PATIENTS .IT REALLY USEFUL FOR MY COURIER GROWTH AND FURTHER MORE OPPORTUNITIES .AFTER PURSING THIS COURSE WHEN I COME BACK TO MY COUNTRY I GOT A SECURE JOB LIKE CEO POST IN SGVP HOSPITAL .AND I AM VERY OVERWHELMED WHEN I GET THIS POST WHICH MAKES MY DREAM COME TRUE .
SO , IF YOU NEED ANY HELP WITH THE COURSE OR SELECTING THE UNIVERSITY YOU CAN WILL CONTACT ME ANY TIME .
TAKE CARE, AND SAY HI TO EVERYONE AT YOUR HOME
BEST REGARDS,
MAHIMA
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The letter addresses all three bullet points: the location of study, the knowledge gained, and the benefits for your studies. However, the tone is inconsistent; you address the recipient as 'Dear Sister' (which is confusing as the prompt says she is a friend's sister) and the content feels more like a professional report than a friendly letter. While you mention studying in Canada, the explanation of how it helped your studies is slightly muddled by the inclusion of irrelevant career details, such as becoming a CEO immediately after graduation. To improve, ensure the content remains focused on the 'study abroad' experience rather than post-graduation career achievements.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The letter is organized into paragraphs, but the flow is hindered by awkward phrasing and mechanical transitions. The use of capitalization for the entire text makes it difficult to read and is inappropriate for a formal or semi-formal letter. Cohesive devices are present but often used incorrectly, such as 'DURING MY YEAR I LEARNT' and 'FURTHER MORE OPPORTUNITIES'. The logical progression is interrupted by sudden shifts from talking about university studies to discussing a CEO position. Using more natural linking words like 'consequently' or 'furthermore' would improve the flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'digital data analysis' and 'critical emergency skills'. However, there are several word-choice errors and awkward collocations, such as 'WHILE OUR CONVERSATION' (should be 'during our conversation') and 'PURSING THIS COURSE' (likely meant 'pursuing'). The repetition of 'healthcare' and 'graduation' limits the sophistication of the response. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise vocabulary and ensuring that collocations are natural and accurate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include incorrect verb tenses ('I JUST MET... A WEEK AGO'), missing articles ('IN A HEALTHCARE'), and subject-verb agreement errors ('IT ABOUT TO TAKE'). Punctuation is also problematic, with inconsistent spacing before commas and periods. The use of all-caps is a significant stylistic error. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for tense consistency would significantly improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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