Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-29

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 Riya,

Its been ages that, we haven't seen Each other. That's why I was were happy we I saw your letter in my post. In that letter you have mentioned you are confused if attain a degree will be proficf or landing a job. According to my experience , getting a job will be beneficial for you.

Firstly, I have know you since our high school and since then your introvert nature is getting more worsen. You have had very traumatic experience of facing exams and I completely forgot to mention you thesis writing capability you are really bad at it.

Moreover, I know you are really short on cash , your family needs your support in the medical emergency that they are facing right now.Secondly it will provide you finical security and will also give you a sense of independence when you are make yours of skill at best use and also making money out of it.if you ask me or for suggestion I will give you few ideas in which field you will or can perform better . according to me there are quite a few for example , you will be a great kindergarten teacher because you adore kids. then you can also apply for personal assistant and I almost forgot cook.I hope my advice will help you give a sense you direction you are looking for.

Yours Truly,

Pinal

Lots of love.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points in the prompt: explaining why college is not suitable, why a job is a good idea, and suggesting specific roles. Your position is clear throughout the letter. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. For instance, the explanation regarding your friend's 'introvert nature' and 'thesis writing capability' is quite personal and slightly informal, which is acceptable for a letter to a friend, but the reasoning could be more logically structured. The suggestions for jobs are relevant, but the connection between the friend's skills and the suggested roles could be more explicitly linked to ensure a more persuasive tone.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your points. You use some cohesive devices like 'Firstly', 'Moreover', and 'Secondly' to signal transitions. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally interrupted by awkward phrasing and punctuation errors, such as the run-on sentences in the second and third paragraphs. The referencing is sometimes unclear, for example, 'I almost forgot cook' lacks a proper grammatical structure to link it to the previous list. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that each sentence logically follows the previous one would significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message, using words like 'beneficial', 'independence', and 'traumatic'. However, there are several instances of incorrect word choice and spelling errors, such as 'proficf' (presumably 'profitable'), 'finical' (financial), and 'make yours of skill' (make the best use of your skills). These errors occasionally impede the reader's understanding. To reach a higher band, you should focus on using more precise collocations and ensuring that your spelling is accurate, as these errors currently limit the clarity and impact of your advice.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

Your writing shows a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'I was were happy', 'you are make yours'), tense inconsistencies, and punctuation mistakes. Many sentences are fragmented or lack proper structure, which makes the text feel disjointed. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar and sentence construction prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and sentence boundaries would be very beneficial.

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