Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-13

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 Patty,

I am writing to share my overseas studing experience as you asked me. I already completed the course which was a part of my university. And you are going to do learn same subject from your college.

I went to Trent university which is located in Canada Ontario. It is in greater Toronto area. The school is huge and offers certain programs which I never heard in our country. The course I pursued was Human Resources which was about 10 months including placement.

The country is beautiful. Everone works hard and mainly they never interfere in someones life. Moreover, the place is famous for its beaches and forest. It is three times larger then our country.

The year in different area was really helpful to me as I got to learn French as a new language. Furthermore, I explored various sports which helped me to relax when I got bored.

Hope you find this letter well. And all the best for your studies.

Yours Sincerely,

AP

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The letter covers all three requested points: you identify Trent University in Ontario, mention features you noticed about Canada, and explain that the year helped you learn French and explore sports. These details make the response relevant and give Patty a useful starting point. However, the country description is quite general, and the link between the experience and your university studies is not fully explained: learning French and relaxing through sports are mentioned, but you do not show how these benefited your Human Resources course. Develop that connection with a specific example, such as how placement experience or cultural knowledge supported your studies. A little more detail about what you learnt about Canadian life would also make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The information is arranged in a generally clear sequence: you introduce the purpose, describe the university and course, comment on the country, and then explain the benefits. Separate paragraphs help the reader follow these topics, and connectors such as “Moreover” and “Furthermore” show relationships between ideas. Some links are less smooth or precise, however. “And you are going to do learn same subject” feels disconnected from the opening, while “The year in different area” does not clearly refer back to studying abroad. The closing also uses two short sentences beginning with “Hope” and “And.” Use clearer references and connect related ideas more naturally so the letter progresses smoothly rather than relying on basic transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the main points, including “placement,” “interfere,” “explored,” and “helpful.” The language is generally understandable, but several word choices and spelling errors reduce precision and naturalness. For example, “overseas studing experience” contains a spelling error, “the school is huge” is informal and vague, and “the place is famous for its beaches and forest” does not specify the place clearly. “Different area” is also an imprecise way to describe studying abroad. Aim for more exact expressions and check spelling, word forms, and collocations. More specific vocabulary about Canadian culture and the academic benefits would help you express your experience with greater flexibility.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mixture of simple sentences and some longer structures, including “The year in different area was really helpful to me as I got to learn French as a new language.” The main message is usually clear, but errors in sentence construction and grammatical forms are noticeable. For example, “I already completed the course which was a part of my university” is awkwardly formed, and “you are going to do learn” contains an incorrect verb pattern. In “It is three times larger then our country,” the comparison structure and punctuation need attention. Practise forming accurate clauses with “because,” “which,” and “as,” and check verb patterns, articles, and sentence boundaries. Greater control of these forms would make the letter easier to read.

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