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 Bhavika,

I am very happy for you decided to study abroad. This decision help you learn more about the other country culture and how the people living their.

Currently I'm living in Toronto Canada. I finished MBA information system management at international business university. Which is located in Toronto down town. I am also doing part-time job in Walmart as a omni associate. I am only able to work only 24 hours per week. Due to this I manage daily expenses and my room rent.

I learn many things while I'm studying. I meet different culture people and learn about their life style and their culture. And also learn time management and cooking healthy food. In my studies professor also teach us how to work in group and how to manage time properly.

This year give me good experience learn many things like to lead a small group. I learn many other important things python programming language, aws and many more.

Take care and stay in touch.

Best Regards,

Akshay

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points: you mentioned studying in Toronto, described learning about different cultures and life skills, and explained how the experience helped your studies. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, while you mention learning about 'different culture people,' this could be expanded with more specific examples to better meet the requirements of a Band 6 or 7. The tone is generally appropriate for a letter to a friend, though the structure is a bit disjointed. To improve, ensure each bullet point is developed into a full, cohesive paragraph with more descriptive detail.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the flow between sentences is often mechanical. You rely heavily on simple sentence structures and lack a variety of cohesive devices (e.g., 'And also,' 'Due to this'). Some transitions feel abrupt, such as the jump from your part-time job to your studies. To improve, try using a wider range of linking words like 'furthermore,' 'consequently,' or 'in addition to this' to connect your ideas more fluidly. Paragraphing is present, but the internal logic within the paragraphs could be strengthened to ensure a smoother progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. You use repetitive phrasing, such as 'learn many things' and 'learn about their culture.' There are also some minor errors in word choice, such as 'omni associate' (which is jargon) and 'Toronto down town' (which should be 'downtown'). To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more precise and varied vocabulary. Instead of repeating 'learn,' try using synonyms like 'gain insights,' 'acquire skills,' or 'broaden my perspective.' Expanding your range of collocations will help you express your experiences more naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'I am very happy for you decided' (should be 'that you have decided'), 'how the people living their' (should be 'how people live there'), and 'This year give me good experience' (should be 'has given me'). You rely mostly on simple sentences, and your attempts at more complex structures often contain errors in verb tense or subject-verb agreement. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, particularly verb tenses and the correct use of articles and prepositions, before attempting more complex grammatical structures.

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

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