Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-08

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

• say why he/she would not enjoy going to college
• explain why getting a job is a good idea for him/her
• suggest types of job that would be suitable for him/her

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

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

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Dear John,

I hope this email finds you well; it feels ages since we last caught up! How have things been with you and your family?

I got your letter yesterday. I know you are confused with either studying or getting a job.

Although you have multiple option in higher studeies, I would like to recommend you to acquire a job. Currently studying in college is difficult than old days because they have huge number of assignment every week.

Getting a job is far better than goining to a college because acquiring a job will change your life style in a different ways. We can buy anything with the help of job and we do not need to ask money from our parents for our basic needs. For intance buying mobile phone or sandels.

I would like to encorage to get a job in the mechanical field, because it is easier to learn and also it provides high wage.

we will catch up later

best reagrds.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You make your recommendation clear: “I would like to recommend you to acquire a job,” and you give relevant reasons, including the workload at college and the independence a salary could provide. You also suggest a mechanical job, so all three requested points are touched on. However, the explanation of why John would not enjoy college is brief and general, and the job benefits are not developed beyond buying personal items. The mechanical-field suggestion also needs to connect more clearly to John’s interests or abilities, and “it is easier to learn” is not explained. Develop each point with a specific, personal example to make the advice more complete and persuasive.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter has a recognisable opening, body and closing, and the ideas broadly move from your recommendation to its benefits and then a job suggestion. This gives the reader a basic sense of organisation. However, the progression within the body is sometimes abrupt: the shift from college assignments to “Getting a job is far better” could be linked more clearly, and the examples of buying a phone or sandals feel disconnected from the main explanation. The final sign-off is also separated from the preceding advice without a clear closing sentence. Use clearer paragraphing for each task point and linking phrases that show how each reason supports your recommendation.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough everyday vocabulary to communicate the main advice, including “confused,” “assignment,” “basic needs” and “high wage.” However, the range is limited and several noticeable spelling and word-choice errors make the letter less natural, such as “studeies,” “go ining,” “intance,” “encorage” and “reagrds.” Some phrases are also awkward or imprecise, including “acquire a job” and “change your life style in a different ways.” Aim for accurate spelling and more natural collocations suited to friendly advice. For example, “get a job,” “gain financial independence” and “a demanding workload” would express your ideas more clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, such as “Although you have multiple option in higher studeies, I would like to recommend you to acquire a job.” The overall meaning is usually understandable, but errors occur in sentence patterns, agreement and articles. For instance, “studying in college is difficult than old days” needs a comparative form and a clearer time reference, while “huge number of assignment” needs an article and a plural noun. In “far better than goining to a college,” the comparison requires a consistent grammatical form. Capitalisation and punctuation in the closing also need attention. Practise accurate comparisons and parallel structures, then proofread for agreement and sentence boundaries.

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