Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-15
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 shweta ,
I hope you are very well. I am also good. Recently I received your latter and I read you are not enjoying college environment. But I want to know why you not enjoying college whether? In the college have many facilities for us . Teachers are very good. Why are you not continue college.
I know, getting a job is very good idea for you. Job has many benefits like, your finecial condition will be good with job , your dream come true, you can buying any thing by your self. If we think about job is very good idea for you .
If you want getting job than you can trying in boutique beacuse you have one year diploma of stitching. As my think stiching in boutique is very well job for you. You are knowing many designs of stitching suit you also know stitching plazo, pent plazo, froks, and shraras etc.
Your faithfully
Pallavi sharma
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
You have addressed all three bullet points in the prompt, which is a positive start. However, the development of your ideas is quite limited. For instance, you ask the friend why they are not enjoying college, rather than explaining why they might not enjoy it, as requested. The advice regarding the job is relevant, but the explanation of why it is a good idea is somewhat repetitive and lacks depth. To improve, ensure you provide more detailed reasons and examples for each point. Your position is clear, but the content needs to be more fully developed to reach a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The letter is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite limited and sometimes mechanical. For example, you use 'If' and 'But' to start sentences, but there is a lack of more sophisticated linking words to connect your ideas smoothly. The progression of ideas is sometimes disjointed, particularly in the first paragraph where you contradict the prompt's premise that the friend is already unhappy. Improving the use of transition signals would help the flow of your writing significantly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is quite basic and repetitive. You use simple terms like 'good' and 'very' frequently. There are also some errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'latter' instead of 'letter', 'finecial' instead of 'financial', and 'stiching' instead of 'stitching'. While your meaning is generally clear, you need to use a wider range of vocabulary and ensure correct spelling to demonstrate a higher level of lexical control. Attempting to use more precise adjectives and nouns would be beneficial.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter, including issues with subject-verb agreement ('In the college have many facilities'), sentence structure ('Why are you not continue college'), and verb forms ('you can buying'). You rely mostly on simple sentence structures, and your attempts at more complex sentences often contain errors that can cause slight difficulty for the reader. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, such as correct verb tenses and auxiliary verbs, before moving on to more complex grammatical structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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