Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-04
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 4.5)
Dear Sarah,
I hope this letter finds you well. I just got to know that you wish to follow the same study which I have done a year ago at the Acadia University, Canada.
As the course of Big Data is quite rare and it is only available in the same university in short term of two semester, it is pretty important to apply for a seat within 6 months prior.
University is located in Helifex village which is in the eastern Canada. It seems like to quiet but the village is full of students which you would reliased later on. The village has a lot of Mountains and greenary with full of trails. On top of that you would see the indegenious people with you in university and in all events, who will teach you so many things about nature.
University has been made a bit of change in curriculumn and fees structure. I had a job when I was in my last semester.
If you have any question just let me know
your
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0
The response responds to the task only minimally, as certain bullet points are only partially addressed. While you successfully mention where you studied by naming Acadia University in Canada, your description of what you learned about the country is very limited, focusing briefly on mountains, greenery, and indigenous people rather than a deeper cultural or social understanding. Furthermore, the explanation of why the year abroad was helpful for your studies is vague and tangential, mentioning a curriculum change and having a job rather than explaining how the academic experience aided your university course. To improve, you need to fully develop all parts of the prompt with clear, extended explanations and relevant details.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0
The information and ideas are not arranged with a clear overall progression. Although the letter starts with a standard greeting and ends with a sign-off, the sequencing of thoughts feels disjointed. For example, moving abruptly from course application details in the second paragraph to the geographical description and indigenous people in the third paragraph lacks smooth transitions. Additionally, paragraphing is somewhat erratic, and cohesive devices are either absent or repetitive, such as the frequent repetition of 'village'. To move to a higher band, you should ensure your ideas flow logically from one point to the next, using appropriate linking words and clear paragraph breaks for each main topic.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
Your vocabulary is limited and minimally adequate for the task. You attempt some less common words, but noticeable errors in word choice, collocation, and spelling cause some difficulty for the reader. For instance, phrases like 'follow the same study' and 'short term of two semester' show unnatural phrasing, and spelling errors such as 'Helifex' instead of Halifax and 'indegenious' instead of indigenous detract from the quality of your writing. To achieve a higher score, you should build a broader range of vocabulary, pay closer attention to standard collocations, and carefully check your spelling before finishing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You demonstrate a limited range of structures, relying mostly on simple sentences, and your attempts at complex sentences are often faulty. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter, such as articles and prepositions in phrases like 'in the same university', 'in short term', and 'It seems like to quiet'. Subject-verb agreement and tense consistency also need attention, as seen in 'which I have done a year ago' and 'University has been made a bit of change'. These frequent errors can cause difficulty and confusion for the reader. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence patterns and reducing errors in verb forms, articles, and prepositions.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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