Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-12

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 Sister,

I am writing this email to discuss my recent experience in abroad while studying of university course.

Firstly, I have completed my study in the university of London, which is located only few kilometers from the downtown of London, and this university is ranked number one in whole country and number five in the world due to the excellent level of education.

The one important thing which I learnt from this country is how to make the balance between study and work so that you may not compromise with your study while working. Also, the way of giving respect to every individual of this country either international students or natives.

I have not only completed my study there, but also gained a experience in my technician field from the university while studying because my course has compulsory practical assignments where we have to perform all the experiments which we read in the books.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Yours faithfully,

Adam.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address the three requested points: you identify the University of London, mention learning about balancing study and work and respecting individuals, and explain that practical assignments helped you gain experience in your field. However, the explanation of what you learnt about the country is brief and general, and the study benefit would be clearer if you linked the practical work directly to your university learning. The opening says you are writing to discuss your experience, but the letter does not directly advise or engage the sister, and “Dear Sister” does not identify her personally. Develop each point with a specific example and use a warmer, more appropriate personal-letter tone to make the response more complete and purposeful.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable sequence: it introduces the purpose, describes the university, gives observations about the country, explains a study benefit, and closes politely. “Firstly” and “Also” help signal the points, while “not only … but also” connects related benefits. However, the progression is somewhat mechanical, and the long university sentence combines location and ranking details without clearly advancing the main message. The two observations about the country could be grouped and developed, followed by a distinct paragraph explaining academic benefits. Some connections between ideas are also unclear, particularly the shift from learning about work-study balance to respect for individuals. Use clearer paragraphing and more natural transitions to guide the reader.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “international students,” “natives,” “compulsory practical assignments,” and “experiments.” These choices help communicate the setting and the academic benefit. However, several phrases are awkward or imprecise, such as “experience in abroad,” “study of university course,” and “gained a experience in my technician field.” “The one important thing” is also an unnatural way to introduce a key lesson. These word-choice and collocation problems make parts of the letter less fluent, although the main meaning remains understandable. Aim for more natural combinations and precise terms, for example, “studied abroad,” “university course,” and “gained practical experience in my technical field.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of sentence forms, including a relative clause (“which is located…”) and a paired construction (“not only… but also…”). The overall meaning is generally recoverable, but errors occur in basic patterns and in longer sentences. For example, “I have completed my study in the university” has problems with the article, preposition, and noun form; “only few kilometers” needs an article or quantifier; and “a experience” uses the wrong article. The sentence beginning “The one important thing which I learnt” also has an awkward structure, while “where we have to perform” shifts tense from the past account. Practise accurate articles, prepositions, countable nouns, and consistent past-tense narration before adding more complex structures.

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