Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-08
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 Pal,
I hope you are douing well, Pal. I am just trying to help you out regarding on the confusion of going college or trying to get a job in your interested field. I know you do not enjoy going college because you got enroll in trhe streem in which you do not much enthusiastic for. Insted of going college, it is worth doing to work in your field which benifits to earn some money and polish your skill.
I do have some of the suggetions which would be helpfull in a search of new job. I would recommond you to try for those job which are releted to the IT support because you have worked as an IT support person in our college and gaind wounderfull experience to fix bugs while operating system and internet regarding issues. Apart from this, you can start workinfg in the hardware company , as I know you have good knowledge regarding computer hardware system as well.
Thank you
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The letter addresses all three bullet points: it explains why college might not be enjoyable, why working is a better alternative, and suggests specific IT-related roles. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation regarding why the friend would not enjoy college is vague, mentioning only a lack of enthusiasm for the 'stream'. The suggestions for jobs are relevant but could be expanded with more detail on how these roles would specifically benefit the friend's career path. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is fully extended with clear, logical reasoning rather than brief statements.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The letter is organized into two main paragraphs, which is appropriate for a short letter. There is a logical progression of ideas from the initial advice to the specific job suggestions. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and limited. Transitions between sentences are occasionally abrupt, and the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'furthermore', 'consequently', 'on the other hand'). While the overall message is clear, the paragraphing and the management of cohesive devices are basic, which limits the score in this criterion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks range and precision. There are several spelling errors throughout the text, such as 'douing' (doing), 'trhe' (the), 'streem' (stream), 'Insted' (Instead), 'benifits' (benefits), 'suggetions' (suggestions), 'recommond' (recommend), 'releted' (related), 'gaind' (gained), 'wounderfull' (wonderful), and 'workinfg' (working). These errors are frequent and occasionally distract the reader. To improve, you should focus on accurate spelling and attempt to use more sophisticated collocations or topic-specific vocabulary related to career advice and IT, rather than relying on simple, repetitive phrasing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that affect the quality of the writing. Examples include 'regarding on the confusion of going college' (regarding the confusion about going to college), 'you got enroll in trhe streem' (you enrolled in the stream), and 'it is worth doing to work' (it is worth working). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar and sentence construction prevents a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct preposition usage would be beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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