Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-17

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 Sarah,

I was really pleased to hear that you are thinking about spending a year studying abroad. I had alread an experience of studying abroad so, i tell you about my experience.

I studied in University of Glasgow that is locates in Glasgow city of Scotland. I completed my Mphil in computer science in this university. This was very good initiative for my career and study.

I study in glasgow so i also learnt many things about this country. All the people of this country were busy in his life. They did not have time to discuss other. so, i think was very good thing of this country.

My year abroad was helpful for my studies because i face many chalanges in study due to completly change environment but i face all the difficulties. This country is very advance in computer science so i also learn many new and advand things that was very helpful for me.

Best Regards,

Abdul Manan

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address all three requested points: you identify the University of Glasgow, mention observations about life in Scotland, and explain that the experience helped your studies and career. However, the country-related description is unclear and general: “All the people of this country were busy in his life” does not explain what you learned about Scotland in a precise way. The academic benefit is also only partly developed; you say you faced challenges and learned about computer science, but give little detail about how this supported your university course. The letter is relevant and its purpose is clear, but the ideas remain limited and under-explained. Add specific examples of cultural learning and explain how new knowledge or skills connected to your studies.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter has a recognisable structure, with an opening, separate sections for the study location, country observations and academic benefits, and a closing. This helps the reader identify the main topics. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear, and several links are mechanical or incomplete. For example, “I studied in Glasgow so i also learnt many things about this country” does not clearly connect the location to the following general observation. The repeated use of “so” and “also” makes the relationships between ideas less precise, while “so, i think was very good thing” leaves the reference unclear. Use clearer transitions and make each paragraph develop one point in a logical sequence, with pronouns that clearly refer to their subject.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main topics, including “studying abroad,” “career,” “difficulties,” and “computer science.” However, the range is limited and some word choices or collocations make the meaning awkward or imprecise. For instance, “good initiative for my career and study” is not a natural way to describe the benefit, and “discuss other” does not express the intended idea clearly. There are also noticeable spelling errors, such as “chalanges,” “completly,” and “advand,” which reduce accuracy. Aim to use more precise phrases for academic development and cultural observations, and check spelling carefully. This would make your message easier to understand and more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You use mostly simple sentences and attempt some longer structures, such as “My year abroad was helpful for my studies because…,” but the range is limited and errors occur frequently. Examples include “I had alread an experience,” “I studied in University,” and “I face many chalanges,” where verb forms, articles or tense choices are inaccurate. Subject–verb agreement and pronouns are also problematic in “All the people… were busy in his life,” and the sentence “so, i think was very good thing” is missing a clear subject and article. Capitalisation and punctuation are inconsistent as well. Practise accurate past-tense narration and build longer sentences from a clear subject and verb; this will improve control without sacrificing clarity.

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