Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-14

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

I hope you would be fine .And I got your letter and you asked to get an advice from me . First of all , I genuinely want to give you advice that you first think about your job . And if you have money you will take online classes .This way you can study as well job . If you go to colleges and any university, you have to spend at least 4 or 5 years to complete graduation. Nowadays there are many resources to study by not going to colleges and universities.This would be really a good idea for you . According to your ability, you just start job in field of marketing . Because in marketing , you get more money and other facilities than any other jobs .So in marketing, you can get huge profit and huge money in short time .

Your lovelingly

Ramesh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have addressed all three bullet points in the prompt: explaining why college might not be enjoyable, why a job is a better option, and suggesting a specific field. However, the development of these ideas is quite limited. For instance, the explanation regarding why college is not enjoyable is brief and lacks depth. To improve, you should expand on your reasoning by providing more specific examples or personal insights. The tone is generally appropriate for a letter to a friend, but the overall structure feels somewhat rushed, which prevents the response from reaching a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph addressing a specific part of the prompt. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite mechanical and repetitive. You rely heavily on simple connectors like 'And' and 'Because' to link ideas. There is a lack of variety in transition words, which makes the flow of the letter feel somewhat disjointed. To improve, try using a wider range of linking words such as 'furthermore', 'consequently', or 'on the other hand' to create a smoother progression between your sentences and paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. You use repetitive phrasing, such as 'get a job' and 'get more money', which limits the sophistication of your writing. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'get huge profit', which is not standard English in this context. To achieve a higher band, you should aim to use more precise and varied vocabulary. Instead of repeating 'get', try using verbs like 'secure', 'pursue', or 'earn', and explore more descriptive adjectives to convey your points more effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

You demonstrate a basic control of sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'I hope you would be fine' (should be 'I hope you are doing well'), 'you asked to get an advice' (advice is uncountable), and 'you just start job' (missing article 'a'). Additionally, the punctuation is inconsistent, with spaces placed before commas. While your meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in articles, verb tenses, and sentence construction indicate a need for more careful proofreading and a focus on mastering basic sentence patterns.

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

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