Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-01
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 Alex,
I hope you are doing well. It's been a while since we met. I just got to know that you're planning to study abroad as part of a university course.
I completed my bachelors from university of winnipeg and did my marketing management this university is located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. I learned a lot of different cultures here and different languages. This country is very good for person who is looking for carrer enhancement and lot of opportuniuty
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 3.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0
You begin appropriately and identify Winnipeg, Manitoba, in Canada as the place where you studied, so the first bullet is partly addressed. However, the response does not clearly explain what you learnt about the country: “different cultures” and “different languages” are mentioned but not illustrated or developed. Most importantly, it does not explain how the year abroad helped your studies; saying Canada offers “opportuniuty” for career enhancement is not a clear account of academic benefits. The letter is also substantially below the required 150 words, leaving the task incomplete. To improve, address each bullet directly with specific examples, such as a course skill you gained and how it supported your university work.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5
The opening is suitable for a friendly letter, and the ideas follow a basic sequence: greeting, study location, then a brief comment about the country. This gives the reader some sense of the topic. However, the response ends abruptly and has no clear paragraphing or closing, so it does not develop into a complete letter. The transition from studying at the university to learning about cultures is also unclear, and “this university” is repeated without a smooth connection between the ideas. Organise the letter into short paragraphs, one for each task point, and use simple links such as “While I was there” and “This experience helped my studies because…” to make the progression clearer.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “study abroad,” “marketing management,” “cultures,” “languages,” and “career enhancement.” These choices make the general subject understandable. However, the range is limited, and several spelling or word-choice errors reduce clarity, particularly “bachelors,” “carrer,” and “opportuniuty.” The phrase “a lot of different cultures” is also broad and does not convey a specific learning experience. Aim for accurate, more precise expressions, such as describing cultural customs, communication styles, or professional opportunities. Check spelling carefully and choose collocations that fit the context, for example, “complete a bachelor’s degree” rather than “complete my bachelors.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response includes mostly simple sentence patterns, such as “I hope you are doing well,” and the reader can understand the main points. There is an attempt to join ideas in “I completed my bachelors from university of winnipeg and did my marketing management,” but the structure is incomplete and the relationship between the degree and the university is unclear. Capitalisation and punctuation also need attention: “university of winnipeg” should be treated as a proper name, and the final ideas run together without a full stop. Use complete sentences with clear subjects and verbs, and practise accurate articles and prepositions—for example, “I completed my bachelor’s degree at the University of Winnipeg, where I studied marketing management.”
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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