Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

Dear Shivani,

I hope this letter finds you well. I just received your letter regarding all the questions and queries of yours studing abroad, I am happy that you want to acquire international studies for your career growth. Shivani i know this can be fascinating plus I would say will also be determining your life. I went to Vancouver Community College in Vancouver , Canada for my Post- Gradutation Diploma, as I wanted to pursue Business and Project Management Course. Initially when I came across the subjects and the pattern it was bit challenging for, However with the time I got all the relevant answers of my doubts. In Canada, Institutions focus more on your soft skills compare to hard skills, because the want to develop your personlity and create an ability to tackle every challenge in life. I also consider international exposure a paramount due to the reason of exploration and the intend to survive alone, Moreover i will alwasy encourage you to take this decision and you will get numerous merits of studing abroad.

Thanking You

Yours Truly

Rohit

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address the three requested points: you identify Vancouver Community College in Canada, mention learning about the emphasis on soft skills, and explain that international exposure helped you explore and manage living independently. These details make the letter relevant and give the reader some useful encouragement. However, the explanation of what you learnt about Canada is quite general, and the benefit to your studies is not clearly connected to your academic development; for example, “exploration” and “survive alone” describe personal growth more than study-related gains. The advice to Shivani is also brief. To make the response more complete, add a specific example of a cultural or educational difference and explain how it improved your subject knowledge or study skills.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The letter has a recognisable opening and closing, and its ideas broadly follow the task’s sequence: your destination, your experience in Canada, and your recommendation. However, most of the content is placed in one long paragraph, so the shifts between these points are difficult to follow. Several linking expressions are awkward or do not show the relationship clearly, such as “Initially … However with the time” and “Moreover i will alwasy encourage you.” The opening also combines several ideas in a crowded sentence. Use separate paragraphs for the study location, what you learnt, and the benefits, and choose simpler links such as “At first,” “Over time,” and “As a result” to make the progression clearer.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt a range of vocabulary suited to a personal letter, including “international exposure,” “soft skills,” “paramount,” and “fascinating.” This shows an effort to express more than basic ideas. However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural and sometimes make the meaning less clear: “all the questions and queries of yours studing abroad,” “relevant answers of my doubts,” and “the intend to survive alone.” There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “Post-Gradutation,” “personlity,” and “alwasy.” Aim for natural collocations and check spelling carefully. For example, say that you “found answers to my questions” and that the experience helped you “become more independent,” rather than using less precise phrases.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some longer sentences and use subordinate clauses, as in “as I wanted to pursue Business and Project Management Course,” so there is some variety beyond simple statements. However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to make parts of the letter harder to read. For instance, “I just received your letter …, I am happy” joins two independent clauses with only a comma; “the want” lacks subject–verb agreement; and “it was bit challenging for” has an incomplete construction. Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, as in “Shivani i know” and “Moreover i.” Practise separating clauses with full stops or conjunctions, and check articles, agreement, and sentence completeness when proofreading.

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.