Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-06

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You recently received a letter from a friend asking for advice about whether to go to college or to try to get a job. You think he/she should get a job.

Write a letter to this friend. In your letter

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ................. ,

Student answer (Band 4.5)

Dear John. How are you? In response to your letter in which asked for advice whether continue studies or apply for a job. I know the reason behind this, that is your finanacial position. I think that you are thinking that your family members are not in position to support you further. Although, I agree with this that your family income is less, and family size is large. Many of your family members are, also not adjusted on suitable position according to their qualifications. I believe that to end up studies here in this position is not so good, because it will effect your whole future. As these days it very necessary for all people to be graduate with degree to be competative in job market, to get a better job. I have a suggestion for you that could solve your problem, that is you can do part time job in hotel as a waiter in evening,and continue your studies in college. I look forward to your bright future. best wishes, Javed

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response3.5
Coherence and Cohesion4.5
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall4.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You identify financial pressure as the reason for your friend’s dilemma and offer a clear practical suggestion: working part-time as a waiter while continuing college. However, this does not follow the requested position that your friend should get a job instead of going to college. The letter argues that stopping studies would harm his future and that a degree is necessary, so the advice conflicts with the task. You also do not explain why he would personally dislike college, and the job advice is limited to one option without showing why it suits him. To improve, take the requested position consistently, give a specific reason college would not appeal to him, and explain how suitable work could benefit him.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a recognisable letter structure, moving from an opening and discussion of finances to advice and a closing. Ideas are generally connected through phrases such as “Although” and “As these days,” and the reader can follow the main topic. However, the progression is weakened by the contradiction between recommending that he stop studying and then advising him to continue college while working. Most of the content is presented in one long block, so the different points are not clearly separated. The opening sentence is also difficult to follow. Use distinct paragraphs for the financial context, your recommendation and suitable jobs, and make sure each point supports the same overall advice.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the general situation, including “financial position,” “family income,” “qualifications,” and “job market.” These choices show some range beyond very basic language. However, several spelling and word-choice errors make the letter less natural, such as “finanacial,” “competative,” and “end up studies.” Some phrases are also awkward or imprecise, including “not adjusted on suitable position” and “in this position.” The vocabulary is therefore understandable but not consistently controlled. Aim to learn common collocations for education and employment, check spelling carefully, and choose precise phrases that explain the friend’s circumstances and the advantages of work.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, for example the sentence beginning “Although, I agree…” and the explanation beginning “As these days…”. However, complex structures are often faulty, and errors sometimes make the intended meaning harder to follow. In “In response to your letter in which asked,” the clause lacks a clear subject; “whether continue studies” also needs a subject and an infinitive marker. Other examples include “it very necessary” and “continue your studies in college,” where sentence structure or articles are missing. Punctuation and sentence boundaries are also inconsistent, particularly in the opening. Practise building complete clauses with clear subjects and verbs, then check articles, verb forms and punctuation.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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