Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-06

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 5.0)

dear fth,

hope you are doing well, i come to know that you want to study abroad and the same course that i have done. firstly, i am so glad that you are serious about your future and as i am your brother , its my duty to give right direction for your future.

if i talk about my college where i have done my diploma that is Alpha college of business and technology. i would recommended you to take the same college because staff is very professional and teacher are fully trained about teaching methods.

another thing about the country, i moved to the canada for my higher studies. there is a great reason why i have chosen that country such as great level of education system, great opportunity and good environment.

as i early mentioned, canada is best for more and higher opportunity and when you completed your study, college will in getting jobs with higher pay rate. moreover, i met with people of other nation who always ready to help in my education. overall, i got good friend circle and help it now whenever i need help.

hope this will help you in getting that tough decision

your sincerely

khush

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt only partially. While all three bullet points from the instructions are touched upon—such as mentioning the institution and the country—the ideas remain limited and under-developed. For instance, the section describing what was learned about the country relies on very basic generalisations like "great level of education system, great opportunity and good environment" without offering specific insights or elaboration. Furthermore, the opening incorrectly assumes a sibling relationship ("as i am your brother") when the prompt specifies writing to a friend's younger sister, which affects the clarity of the role and context. To reach a higher level, the writer would need to extend each point with detailed explanations and fully developed support rather than superficial statements.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is some organisation present, such as attempting to structure the letter with separate paragraphs for different topics, but the response lacks a clear overall progression. Cohesive devices are often inadequate or repetitive, relying heavily on basic linkers like "firstly," "another thing," and "moreover." Additionally, referencing is sometimes unclear, as seen in the sentence "help it now whenever i need help," where the pronoun lacks a clear antecedent. Paragraphing is also inconsistent, with ideas clumped together rather than flowing logically from one point to the next. To improve in this area, the writer should employ a wider and more accurate range of cohesive ties and ensure that each paragraph moves the narrative forward in a structured manner.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and minimally adequate for the task. The writer attempts some less common phrases, such as "higher studies" and "pay rate," but noticeable errors in word choice, word form, and spelling cause some difficulty for the reader. Examples include "recommended" instead of recommend, "teacher" instead of teachers, and "the canada" with an unnecessary article. Furthermore, phrasing like "good friend circle" lacks natural collocation. To achieve a higher band, the writer must expand their lexical repertoire, use precise word forms consistently, and demonstrate better control over spelling and idiomatic collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response displays a limited range of structures, relying mostly on simple sentences alongside attempts at complex forms that are frequently faulty. There are numerous grammatical errors involving verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, and prepositions, which can cause difficulty for the reader. Examples include "i come to know" instead of I came to know, "where i have done my diploma that is" which creates a flawed relative clause structure, and "college will in getting jobs" which misses essential lexical and grammatical components. Punctuation and capitalization are also weak throughout the text, notably with lowercase letters at the beginning of sentences. To progress, the writer needs to increase sentence variety and eliminate frequent basic grammatical errors.

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

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