Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-05

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 Friend

I hope you are doing good in your life. I received your letter yesterday regarding seeking advice from me. I believe you have good caliber and potential , your skills should also get a proper direction.

According to my experience you should opt for job instead of post graduation. You had already enjoyed your college life in bachelors and time to be serious towards career and life.

As you must have seen that market requirement are skills not degree. If you opt for job and once you got good experience then you can go for the further education along with job. That will not only improve your skills but also make your resume strong.

You have already done BBA in HR, so I would like to suggest you that you should work in corporate and recruitment firms. That will help you in polishing your caliber and skills, this will suit your career.

I will help you and guide you for your further journey of success as well.

Thankyou

Tamanna

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly state why college might not be enjoyable, explain the benefits of working, and suggest suitable roles in HR and recruitment. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend. However, the development of ideas is somewhat brief. For instance, the explanation of why the friend would not enjoy college is limited to the statement that they have already enjoyed their bachelor's degree. To reach a higher band, you could expand on these points with more specific reasoning or personal anecdotes to make the advice feel more persuasive and fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and limited. Transitions between sentences are occasionally abrupt, such as the jump between the second and third paragraphs. To improve, try using a wider variety of linking words and phrases (e.g., 'furthermore', 'consequently', 'in addition to this') to create a smoother flow between your ideas and to better connect your arguments.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'caliber', 'potential', and 'corporate'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'opt for job' (should be 'opt for a job') and 'further education' (which is acceptable but could be more precise). Some phrasing is slightly unnatural, such as 'time to be serious towards career'. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and idiomatic expressions that are natural in a friendly letter context, while ensuring articles and prepositions are used correctly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly regarding articles ('opt for job' instead of 'a job') and subject-verb agreement ('market requirement are' instead of 'market requirements are'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some run-on sentences and missing commas. To achieve a higher score, you should aim for greater accuracy in basic grammar and attempt to vary your sentence structures with more complex clauses, ensuring that these are punctuated correctly to avoid errors that distract the reader.

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

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