Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-03
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 4.5)
Dear Jasmin,
I hope this letter finds you well.
I got your letter yesterday , In your letter you were asking me about my course that i finished recently for your sister Megan.
According to my point of view , you should definitely support her because the course of International business management brings a great opportunity for her career on the top of that this university of California is one of the best university for the Business courses after you done with this course the great career paths will open up for you .
There is one disadvantage of this Course and University is based in California for that she really needs to move and start up her life from the beginning , My experience was great study abroad taught me so many things which can be helpful for my entire career and that will be beneficial for my entire life
One more thing that , I would like to add is University has Co-up Course of International Business Management which means that as soon as she will done with her studies the job will be ready for her.
If you need any help , let me know .
Yours loving
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 3.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5
The response only partially addresses the prompt requirements. While the writer mentions studying at the University of California, the letter confuses who is going on the study abroad year. The prompt asks you to write to your friend's sister (Megan) about your own recent experience, but the text awkwardly addresses the friend and shifts the subject to Megan in a way that creates confusion about the recipient. Furthermore, the description of what was learned about the country is minimal and limited to vague statements like 'taught me so many things.' The explanation of how it helps with studies is underdeveloped, relying on repetitive mentions of career paths rather than specific academic benefits. To reach a higher level, all bullet points need to be fully developed and clearly directed to the correct recipient with distinct, extended ideas.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0
There is some basic organisation, but the text lacks a clear overall progression. The letter format is unconventional, mixing the salutation to Jasmin with a sudden shift in the second paragraph to addressing Megan indirectly or discussing her situation instead of focusing directly on the prompt's instructions. Cohesive devices are minimal and sometimes inaccurate, such as starting sentences with 'According to my point of view ,' or stringing multiple clauses together with commas and 'and' without proper sentence boundaries. Paragraphing is disjointed, with ideas running together rather than being separated into logical sections covering each part of the task. Improving logical sequencing and using appropriate referencing and conjunctions would significantly enhance the flow of the letter.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is limited and minimally adequate for the task, with noticeable errors that occasionally cause difficulty for the reader. There are issues with word choice, phrasing, and word forms, such as 'Co-up Course' instead of 'co-op programme' or 'co-operative education', and 'after you done with this course' instead of 'after finishing this course'. Spelling and collocation are generally basic, with repetitive use of terms like 'course', 'entire career', and 'entire life'. While the writer attempts some less common vocabulary items, such as 'International business management', inaccuracies in expression restrict the precision of the message. Developing a wider and more accurate range of lexical items is necessary to improve this score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The text shows a very limited range of structures, relying mostly on simple sentences or run-on sentences joined incorrectly by commas. There are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation throughout the response. Examples include comma splices like 'I got your letter yesterday , In your letter...', tense inconsistencies such as 'that i finished recently', and prepositional or structural errors like 'is University has Co-up Course' and 'University of California is one of the best university' where articles and plurals are misused. Attempts at complex sentences often result in structural faults and punctuation errors. To achieve a higher band, the writer needs to demonstrate a greater variety of error-free complex structures with reliable control over punctuation and verb forms.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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