Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-10

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)

Dear Sophie,

I hope you are doing well. Thanks for considering me to share my experience at university. It was an incredible 2 years of experience in abroad.

I chose Canada as it offers innumerable benefits for students. Free access to commuting, library and computer usage. Although being alone put me through a bunch of responsibilities but journey was worthwhile. I chose York University since it's a renowned university to foster the technical and practical skills as I opt for research and biotechnology.

Since, your brother told me you are thinking about the same. I would suggest the course and the experience is vital. I learnt some technologies and enhance my practical knowledge. without any qualms, as canada is multicultural country, I found it all the students from different culture and background were working in coordination and living in harmony. They are always ready to help me out whenever I was skeptical. hence, it impressed me alot.

The expereince was vital as I develop some life skills which I can implement in my daily work life balance. Do not miss this opportunity. since, studying abroad provide more technological advancements and deeper knowledege compared to the lack of innovations in university of india.

I hope you make good decision.

All the best

hets

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three points: you identify York University in Canada, describe its multicultural student community and helpful atmosphere, and explain that the experience developed practical knowledge and life skills. The advice to Sophie also suits the purpose of a friendly letter. However, some parts are more fully covered than others. The country description focuses mainly on students’ behaviour, while the claim about free access to transport, libraries and computers is unclear and not explained. The study benefit is also quite general; connect your biotechnology or research experience to specific skills or knowledge that supported your university course. A clearer account of what you learned about Canada would make the response more complete and developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter has a recognisable structure, moving from an opening to your university experience, advice and a closing. Paragraphs broadly group related information, and phrases such as “Although” and “Since” attempt to connect ideas. However, progression is sometimes difficult to follow because several points are placed together without clear links. For example, the paragraph beginning “I chose Canada” shifts from student benefits to responsibilities and then to your university choice. Some connectors are awkward or repetitive, including “Since” at the start of two sentences and “hence” before a new point. Organise the details in a clearer sequence—location, observations about Canada, then academic benefits—and use references and transitions that make each connection explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of vocabulary for a personal letter, including “multicultural,” “practical knowledge,” “responsibilities” and “living in harmony.” These choices help convey your experience, and the main message remains understandable. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “experience in abroad,” “Free access to commuting,” and “foster the technical and practical skills.” There are also spelling errors, including “expereince,” “knowledege” and “alot,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for natural combinations and precise wording: for example, describe access to public transport, explain that a university helped you develop skills, and use “a year abroad” for the period of study. Proofreading would also catch spelling and capitalization slips.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a concessive clause in “Although being alone put me through a bunch of responsibilities but journey was worthwhile.” This shows an effort to vary structure, but the clause is not formed correctly: “although” and “but” should not be used together, and the sentence also needs an article before “journey.” Other examples include “Since, your brother told me” and “I learnt some technologies and enhance my practical knowledge,” where punctuation and verb forms need attention. Agreement and tense are also inconsistent in “studying abroad provide” and “I develop some life skills.” Use past tense for completed experiences and check subject–verb agreement. More accurate control of these patterns would make your varied sentences easier to read.

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

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