Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-21

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 Mia,

I got your brother's meassage that you are interested to enroll for one year program in my University and you want some advice about the university environment, new culture and the food.

Firstly, telling about my experience I studied at Computer Networks course from University of Regina which is located in Saskatchewan. The campus where I studied is cover with the nature and a pond which help me to relieve stress after the classes.

In addition I learned so many things from this country like, you have to travel by your own by metro or buses. Howevere, you have to wake early to catch otherwise you will miss it and wait for 30 mins for next one. In addition, you have to manage the money by calculating the monthly expense and making your food .

I also want to discuss that time I spend on my studies was helpful to leearn about new culture, meet new people and know about responsibilities.

I am sure you will enjoy your year abroad, too. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Best Regards,

Moksh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address the three requested points: you identify the University of Regina in Saskatchewan, mention practical lessons about transport and budgeting, and explain that the experience helped you learn about culture, meet people, and become more responsible. However, the description of the country is quite narrow, and the explanation of how the year helped your university studies is not fully clear; it focuses more on personal development than on academic benefits. The opening also says Mia is interested in enrolling at “my University,” which may misrepresent her plan to study abroad as part of her course. Develop the academic benefit with a specific example, such as how studying there improved your subject knowledge or practical skills.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a clear overall shape, with an opening, separate paragraphs for your experience and lessons, and a friendly closing. Sequencing phrases such as “Firstly” and “In addition” help the reader follow the points. However, the transitions are sometimes mechanical or repetitive, and the paragraph beginning “In addition I learned…” combines several ideas without a clear progression. The reference to “my University” in the opening is also unclear because the task concerns a year abroad. Group related details more deliberately—for example, describe the country’s transport and daily life together, then explain the academic value in a distinct paragraph. This would make the progression smoother and the connections between ideas clearer.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including relevant terms such as “campus,” “metro,” “monthly expense,” and “responsibilities.” However, the range is limited, and several word choices or collocations sound unnatural or make the meaning less precise, such as “enroll for one year program,” “cover with the nature,” and “making your food.” There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “meassage,” “Howevere,” and “leearn.” These do not prevent the reader from understanding the general message, but they reduce clarity and control. Aim to use more natural phrases for studying abroad and everyday life, and proofread carefully for spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

Your letter includes some attempts to connect ideas in longer sentences, for example, “However, you have to wake early to catch otherwise you will miss it.” However, the range of sentence structures is limited, and errors occur frequently enough to affect clarity. Examples include “The campus … is cover” and “a pond which help me,” where the verb forms and agreement are incorrect, as well as “I studied at Computer Networks course,” which has an inaccurate grammatical pattern. The sentence about waking early also needs clearer clause structure and punctuation. Practise accurate past-tense descriptions and build complex sentences with clear subjects and connectors, checking agreement and articles as you revise.

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