Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-02
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 Simran,
How're you? I've heard good news that you're considering 'Business management' course to study in the 'Guelph University' located in Canada. Surprisingly, I've completed my studies in the same program last month.
Let me tell you about my studies, I've been graduated from one of the popular universities in London (University of London); I was a student of 2025 batch. My university granted me a scholarship because I scored over 80 percent in the first semester.
You must be wondering about my experience in the foreign country; let me explain it to you. I've got to know a few interesting things about United Kingdom which include their national sport which is Cricket and their queen's name which is Queen Victoria.
Your brother (Ranveer) must have told you that we used to study together at 'Maharaj College' in India. We enjoyed alot here but this course was not available here so I had to take a decision to study abroad which helped me alot to gain knowledge.
I would love to help you more.
Yours faithfully,
Harsh
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The letter responds to the situation and includes information about studying in London, observations about the UK, and a reason for studying abroad. However, the first point is not clearly answered: the prompt asks where you studied during your year abroad, while the letter says you graduated from the University of London and later refers to studying in Canada, leaving the location and timeline confusing. The country description is also limited and includes a potentially inaccurate detail about Queen Victoria being the UK’s queen. The explanation that the course was unavailable in India and helped you gain knowledge is relevant, but it does not explain specifically how the experience supported your studies. Clarify the destination and give concrete academic benefits, such as improved subject knowledge or practical experience.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable letter format, with a greeting, paragraphs, and a closing, and it moves broadly from the recipient’s plans to your experience and advice. However, the progression is not consistently clear. The opening mentions Guelph University in Canada, but the next paragraph places your studies at the University of London, and the later reference to the UK does not resolve where the year abroad took place. Some transitions, such as “Let me tell you about my studies” and “let me explain it to you,” are repetitive and do not clearly connect the ideas. Organise the body around the three requested points, using one paragraph for the destination, one for what you learnt, and one for academic benefits, with clear references throughout.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use enough vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “scholarship,” “national sport,” and “gain knowledge.” There are also attempts at a conversational tone, which suits a letter to someone you know. However, several choices are unnatural or imprecise, such as “considering ‘Business management’ course,” “popular universities,” and “I’ve got to know a few interesting things.” Quotation marks around the course and university names are unnecessary, and “alot” is incorrectly written as one word. The phrase “I was a student of 2025 batch” is also not idiomatic. Aim for more natural collocations and precise wording, for example, “enrolled in a business management course” and “I learnt about several aspects of life in the UK.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The letter includes both simple sentences and attempts at longer structures, such as “Your brother … must have told you that we used to study together,” so there is some variety. However, errors in verb forms, articles, and sentence boundaries are frequent enough to make parts of the message awkward or unclear. “I’ve been graduated” should be “I graduated,” while “considering ‘Business management’ course” needs an article, as in “considering a business management course.” The sentence beginning “Let me tell you about my studies” runs into the next clause with a comma, so it should be separated or joined with a suitable conjunction. Review tense consistency as well: “I’ve completed my studies … last month” is better expressed as “I completed my studies last month.”
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