Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-08
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 Hetvi,
I am writing you this letter to give my suggestion to you that you should try to get a job instead of go to college.Because nowadays there are cut throat competition is going on in all colleges so you can not enjoy college life anymore.Apart from that, nowadays fees is increased in all courses.So I think that you should not go to college.
If you get job,you can earn money from this job even you can fulfill your dream too.you can also fulfill your family members requirements.So it would be great if you will get a job in a school.You can save money and you will make a better future.
I think that you should try to get a job in school because it is suitable for you.As I know that you wanted to become teacher since childhood.As I know that you have perfect knowledge about how to teach maths, science and other subjects even you like small children a lot.
I hope you you will get a job soon.
Yours lovingly,
Tina shah.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses all three bullet points of the prompt: explaining why college might not be enjoyable, why a job is a good idea, and suggesting a specific job type. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation regarding why college is not enjoyable relies on general statements about 'cut throat competition' and rising fees without much personal depth. To reach a higher band, the ideas should be more fully extended with specific examples or more sophisticated reasoning. The position is clear, but the overall development remains basic.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The letter is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. For example, the phrase 'nowadays' is used twice in the first paragraph, and 'as I know that' is repeated in the third paragraph. Transitions between sentences are often abrupt, such as the jump from discussing fees to the conclusion of the first paragraph. While the progression of ideas is logical, the lack of varied linking words and occasional awkward phrasing makes the flow feel a bit disjointed at times.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. The student relies on simple, repetitive language such as 'get a job', 'fulfill', and 'good idea'. There are some minor inaccuracies in collocation, such as 'cut throat competition is going on' and 'family members requirements'. While the meaning is always clear, the range of vocabulary is limited to common, everyday words. To improve, the student should aim to incorporate more descriptive adjectives and varied verbs to express their thoughts with more nuance and sophistication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include missing articles ('get job', 'in school'), incorrect verb forms ('instead of go to college'), and punctuation errors, particularly with spacing after commas. There are also instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'I am writing you this letter to give my suggestion to you'. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the message, they are frequent enough to impact the overall fluency and accuracy of the writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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