Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-07

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 5.0)

Dear Meenu,

I hope you are doing well. It was great to hear from you. I'm writing because I heard that you want to pursue further education abroad. I'm glad to let you know information about the universities and courses that are helpful for you.

First of all, I want to tell you I'm in Surrey, Vancouver, studying a Bachelor's in Hospitality Management at the University of Canada West. This University is amazing for students who want to get a good hype in the education market, as they are also offering internships with reputable companies. This is the reason I chose this university.

Another thing I wanted to mention is that spending years in this country helped me learn discipline and punctuality. In fact, while you are studying, you have to know a few digital tools like AI, ChatGPT, and how to control them, these skills really help you in your studies, so I recommend that you tech-savvy or you will join some computer class too. I think you would really enjoy studying here.

Anyway, let me know what you think about this.

I would be really happy for you.

Take care and keep in touch!

Best wishes,

Muskan

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You use an appropriate friendly letter format and identify where you studied: Surrey, Vancouver, at the University of Canada West. You also mention learning discipline and punctuality, and explain that internships and digital skills can support study. However, the task is only partially addressed: the country is not clearly named, and the description of what you learnt about it focuses mainly on personal habits and technology rather than the country’s culture, people, or way of life. The explanation of how the year abroad helped your own studies is also unclear; the internship point explains your university choice, not the academic benefit you experienced. Develop these points with specific examples from your year abroad.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The letter has a recognisable structure, with an opening, several body points, and a friendly closing. Phrases such as “First of all” and “Another thing” help signal topic changes, and the reader can generally follow the main ideas. However, progression is not always clear: the discussion moves from the university and internships to discipline, then to AI and ChatGPT, without explaining how these points connect to your experience or to the advice requested. Some linking is mechanical, and “Anyway” introduces the ending rather abruptly. Organise the body around the three requested points, using a separate paragraph for each and clearer references to your own year abroad.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough everyday vocabulary to communicate the main message, including “reputable companies,” “discipline,” and “punctuality.” The friendly tone is suitable for writing to someone you know. However, several choices are imprecise or unnatural and make parts of the letter less clear. “Get a good hype in the education market” does not express a clear benefit, while “I recommend that you tech-savvy” is not a natural phrase. “I’m glad to let you know information” is also awkward. Aim for precise expressions that describe your experience and advice, rather than broad or unclear claims. More specific vocabulary about local culture and academic learning would also help you address the task more effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mixture of simple sentences and longer structures, including the relative clause in “a university … as they are also offering internships” and the conditional idea “you have to know a few digital tools.” Most of the message remains understandable, and the letter includes appropriate sentence punctuation and a clear closing. However, some sentence structures are incomplete or awkward. In “I recommend that you tech-savvy,” the clause needs a complete verb structure, such as “I recommend that you become tech-savvy.” The sentence beginning “while you are studying” also joins several ideas with commas, making its structure difficult to follow. Review clause boundaries and ensure each sentence has a complete, clearly connected structure.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.