Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-29

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 Raman,

I hope you're doing great! I am writing to share my journey and experiences with you regarding my courses and interactions with native people.

I studied in the University of Toronto for almost two years. My course duration was 1 year and after that I had practical training to complete.

There are numerous things, which I have learnt while studing there, such as cultural diversity, time management, and being kind is much more crucial than we think. you would also come across people from different backgrounds, countries, and regions. I learnt to respect every student irrespective of their gender, culture, and the country they belong to.

Although it feels difficult and completely different at the begining, you will feel loved and part of them by the end of the year. It was extremely helpful for me as I learnt to stay alone and manage my tasks on my own.

I wish you will also experience the same .

Best wishes,

Karm

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The letter responds to the situation and gives relevant information about the study experience. You identify the University of Toronto and describe learning about cultural diversity, respect, and independence. However, the first point is not fully clear: saying you studied there “for almost two years” conflicts with the later statement that the course lasted one year, and the practical training is not explained. The country-related learning is mostly presented as broad lessons rather than specific things you discovered about Canada. You also say the experience helped you manage tasks independently, but the link to your university studies could be developed more directly—for example, by explaining how it improved your academic skills or understanding of your subject.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The ideas are arranged in a generally understandable order: you introduce the purpose, describe your studies and learning, then explain the personal benefit and close the letter. Paragraphing helps separate these points, and phrases such as “Although” and “by the end of the year” guide the reader through the contrast and timeline. Some connections are less clear, however. The shift from “almost two years” to “1 year” creates confusion, while “There are numerous things, which I have learnt” is an awkward lead-in to the examples. The final benefit focuses on living independently rather than clearly connecting back to studies. Use clearer transitions and group the country lessons and academic benefits into distinct, logically developed paragraphs.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a suitable range of vocabulary for a personal letter, including “cultural diversity,” “time management,” “practical training,” and “irrespective of.” These choices help communicate your experience, and the tone is friendly. However, some wording is imprecise or unnatural, such as “share my journey and experiences … regarding my courses and interactions with native people,” which does not clearly preview the letter’s main points. “Native people” is also less appropriate here than a phrase such as “local people” or “Canadian students.” There are noticeable spelling errors, including “studing” and “begining,” and some repetition of “learnt.” Aim for more precise country-specific vocabulary and check spelling and collocations carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response includes both simple sentences and some attempts at more complex structures, such as “Although it feels difficult and completely different at the begining, you will feel loved…” and “I learnt to respect every student irrespective of…” Meaning is generally clear, but some grammatical errors remain. In “being kind is much more crucial,” the subject does not fit smoothly with the surrounding list; parallel forms such as “being kind is…” alongside “cultural diversity” and “time management” would improve the structure. The sentence beginning “There are numerous things, which…” uses an unnecessary comma before the relative clause. Capitalisation is also inconsistent in “you would,” and “I wish you will also experience” needs a more suitable verb pattern, such as “I hope you also experience.”

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