Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-20

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 5.0)

Dear friend

Recently I received your letter form post office actually I was very from same days to I can not take your letter I received your letter after 1 week for this I apologies my bad and now I was read your letter you are ask for advice about whether to go to college or to try to get a job I suggested you I hope you try to get a job it's proof very beneficial for u if u are go to college u can feel boring because u can not make friends in college like as u but during the job u can make too much friend's so I suggest u to try to get a job it's very important for u I think u should Try to get a job in any receptionist it's very amazing and awesome job u feel relaxed you need to do work just some time otherwise you will free

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt: why college might not be enjoyable, the benefits of working, and suggestions for suitable jobs. However, the development of these ideas is quite limited. The explanation regarding why college would be boring is simplistic, and the suggestion of a 'receptionist' role is not fully supported or explained in a way that demonstrates a clear understanding of the task's requirements for a friendly, advisory tone. While the task is addressed, the lack of depth and the informal, somewhat disjointed nature of the arguments prevent it from reaching a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.5

The letter lacks clear paragraphing, which is essential for a formal or semi-formal letter structure. The text is presented as a single block, making it difficult to follow the progression of ideas. There is a significant lack of cohesive devices; the sentences are mostly linked by simple conjunctions or run-on structures. For example, the transition between the apology and the advice is abrupt. To improve, you should use clear paragraph breaks for each bullet point and incorporate linking words such as 'furthermore', 'consequently', or 'on the other hand' to guide the reader through your argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is quite basic and repetitive, relying on simple words like 'good', 'amazing', and 'awesome'. There are several instances of word-choice errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'I was very from same days' and 'it's proof very beneficial'. The use of 'receptionist' as a job type is slightly imprecise, as it is a job title rather than a category. To achieve a higher score, you need to demonstrate a wider range of vocabulary and use more precise collocations, such as 'gaining practical experience' instead of 'do work'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that often impede communication. There is a lack of punctuation, with many run-on sentences and missing full stops, such as '...for this I apologies my bad and now I was read your letter'. Verb tense usage is inconsistent, and there are errors with subject-verb agreement and pluralization (e.g., 'too much friend's'). The sentence structures are predominantly simple, and there is a lack of complex sentence forms. Improving your control over basic sentence boundaries and verb tenses is essential for clarity.

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

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