Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-08
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)
Hello Dear taran,
I hope you are doing well. I was really happy to hear from you that you are spending a year doing studying abroad as part of your university course. I was happy to share my experience with you.
I was spent a year doing study at University Canada West. It was a wonderful experience for me beacause I get a chance to meet with new people and completed study in new environment.
I learnt about the new culture of country and its tradition food. Also, I get an experience about new languages and new skills. People from different bckground lives there by sharing their local food and traditions. People are very helpful and self-confident as they always provide their helping hand towards the needy people.
The year which I spent abroad is very helpful for me. I leran about disticnt course during my studies and these courses teach me a lots of valueable things. I also learn team work skills and co-operation skills. I am improved my communication skills by doing study there.
I am sure that your also enjoyed by doing study there.
Best Wishes,
Taran Dhaliwal
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly state where you studied (University Canada West), describe your cultural learning experiences, and explain the benefits to your studies. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat basic. For instance, while you mention learning about culture and food, the descriptions remain quite general. To improve, try to provide more specific examples or personal anecdotes to flesh out your points. The tone is generally appropriate for a letter to a friend's sister, although the opening salutation 'Hello Dear taran' is slightly unnatural.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, each focusing on one of the bullet points. There is a clear progression of ideas. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. For example, you frequently start sentences with 'I' or 'People'. The transition between ideas could be smoother; using a wider variety of linking words such as 'furthermore', 'consequently', or 'in addition to this' would help the text flow more naturally. Paragraphing is present, but the internal structure of the paragraphs could be more cohesive.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, but it lacks variety and precision. You rely on simple adjectives like 'wonderful' and 'helpful' repeatedly. There are also some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'tradition food' (should be 'traditional food') and 'bckground' (spelling error). To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more sophisticated vocabulary related to the topic of studying abroad, such as 'academic environment', 'cross-cultural experience', or 'professional development'. The current range is sufficient to convey your meaning, but it does not demonstrate a wide or flexible range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter, particularly with verb tenses and sentence structure. For example, 'I was spent a year' should be 'I spent a year', and 'I get a chance' should be 'I got a chance'. Additionally, 'I am improved my communication skills' is incorrect; it should be 'I improved my communication skills'. While you attempt some complex sentences, they often contain errors that slightly impede the flow. Focusing on consistent tense usage and subject-verb agreement will significantly improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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