Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · 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 4.5)

Dear Amina,

It is with great pleasure to write to you,how are you, I hope you are doing fine.My sister Sakina ,your friend, told me you have an interest of studying abroad for a year as part of your university course ,and would like me explain to uou about my experience during my undergraduate years at Harvard University in America .

Firstly i would like enlighten you on life in America ,it was really an advantageous moment,its a plce to be, life is moving at a high pace ,people work with time as the are time contious if your late with a moment you will not be answer and thy are honest people ,easy to deal with .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You identify Harvard University in America as the place where you studied, and you begin to describe life there, so the letter is relevant to the situation. However, the response is incomplete: it does not explain what you learnt about the country in enough detail, and it does not address how the year abroad helped your studies. The description of people being punctual and honest is a starting point, but it needs specific examples or explanation. The letter also falls short of the required minimum length, leaving too little space to develop the three requested points. To improve, cover each bullet explicitly and add a clear example of an academic benefit, such as improved subject knowledge or research skills.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The opening establishes who you are writing to and why, and “Firstly” signals that you are beginning to organise your ideas. The response also moves from the study location to life in America, which gives it a basic sequence. However, the letter ends before the ideas are fully organised or connected, and the long opening sentence combines several points without clear breaks. The paragraph about life in America also strings observations together rather than showing how they relate. Use separate paragraphs for the location, cultural learning, and academic benefits, and connect details with clear transitions such as “For example” and “As a result.” This would create a more complete and easier-to-follow progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “studying abroad,” “undergraduate years,” and “life in America.” These phrases make the general subject clear. However, the range is limited, and several word choices or spellings make parts difficult to understand, such as “advantageous moment,” “a plce to be,” and “time contious.” Some expressions are also too informal for a helpful letter, particularly “uou.” Aim for accurate, natural phrases that describe cultural observations and academic development. For instance, explain that people value punctuality or that you became more independent, rather than relying on broad claims such as “it was a place to be.” Proofreading spelling and choosing precise collocations will make your meaning clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts to combine ideas in longer sentences, and the opening uses a subordinate clause to explain why you are writing. However, sentence boundaries and punctuation are often inaccurate: the opening runs several clauses together, as in “It is with great pleasure to write to you,how are you,” and the next sentence also lacks clear separation. There are errors in verb patterns and agreement, including “would like me explain” and “people work with time as the are.” Articles and sentence construction also need attention. Practise writing shorter, complete sentences first, then add complex structures carefully. Check that each sentence has a clear subject and verb, and use full stops and commas to separate ideas.

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