Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-25

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,

Hope you’re doing well. I heard you are interested in studying overseas as part of your journey in university course.

I studied in Santo Thomas University in Manila, Philippines. I recently graduated last March 2024. My course is architecture and I studied for 4 yers in the Philippines.

Studying in the Philippines is very affortable but at the same time you will learn a lot. Their education system is world class. There are also so many accommodation near by the university. The tranportation is also easy however, sometimes you be stuck in the traffic. You don ‘t need to worry about the food as there are a lot of restaurant in the area. People in the Philippines is very hospitality, you will always find them smiling eventhough the weater is hot and humid.

My experience studying abroad taught me a lot of things. People inthe Phiippines taught me how to be grateful even in simple things.

Hoping this help you to decide.

Yours trily,

Ana

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You cover the main situation and give relevant information about studying in Manila, including affordability, transport, accommodation, food, and local people. However, the task’s three points are not all addressed clearly. The location is stated, but the length of study is confusing: you say you studied for four years, rather than explaining where you spent the year abroad. You describe some features of the Philippines, but the learning point about gratitude is brief and not clearly connected to what you learnt about the country. Most importantly, you do not explain how the experience helped your architecture studies. Add a specific academic benefit, such as gaining design knowledge or seeing different building styles, and develop the country-related learning.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a generally understandable order: you introduce the topic, describe the university and country, then add a personal reflection and closing. Paragraph breaks help separate these parts, and the reader can follow the main message. Some links between ideas are mechanical or unclear, however. The list of affordability, accommodation, transport, and food reads as separate points, while “however” does not clearly connect the traffic comment to the preceding sentence. The final reflection about gratitude also arrives without explaining how it relates to the country description. Use clearer transitions and group related details, then give the academic benefit its own paragraph so the letter progresses more purposefully.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough everyday vocabulary to communicate the general experience, including “education system,” “accommodation,” “transportation,” and “grateful.” However, the range is limited and several noticeable spelling, word-form, and collocation errors make the letter less natural. Examples include “affortable,” “tranportation,” “hospitality” in “very hospitality,” and “eventhough.” Some expressions are also imprecise, such as “learnt a lot of things” and “so many accommodation.” Aim for accurate, natural phrases that describe the experience more specifically, particularly its relevance to architecture. Proofreading spelling and choosing the correct form of familiar words would make your meaning clearer and more fluent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

Most sentences use straightforward structures, and the main message is usually understandable. There are attempts to connect ideas, for example, “The transportation is also easy however, sometimes you be stuck in the traffic,” but the verb form and punctuation are faulty. Other errors include “I heard you are interested” (a missing or unclear tense relationship), “My course is architecture,” “People in the Philippines is,” and “you will always find them smiling.” These show difficulty with verb forms, agreement, and sentence construction. Use a wider mix of accurate simple and complex sentences, and check subject–verb agreement and tense consistency. For instance, distinguish clearly between your past experience and general facts about the country.

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