Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-09
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)
Hello Ali,
I hope you will be fine with radiant health.
I'm so happy after hearing your thought about studying or job.
First of all what is the reason that you are not enjoying go to the college even it is your last semester. What happend that you could not carry on your job?
Any way its your decision about study.I would like to suggest that i seems job is the best way for next your planing.As you know your parents was sailed the house and its very difficult situation now a days.i know that you need money for younger sister's marriage and need financial strength for living in this society.
Here I have a best opportunity for you,I have a best friend which name is Ahmad.He is the owner of a construction company.last weekend we met at the hotel for some talk about our childhood dreams,he told me that he need a honest and punctual person for looking is office so I remember that you are the better for this job.so i will send you his number you can contact him i'm sure you got the very good job with good salary.
Your's truly
Abbas
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The letter addresses all three bullet points, though the content is somewhat confused. You ask why your friend would not enjoy college, but then ask why they are not enjoying it, which misinterprets the prompt's instruction to provide advice. The suggestion for a job is clear, and you provide a specific example of a construction company. However, the tone is inconsistent, and the development of ideas is slightly hampered by the misunderstanding of the prompt's premise. To improve, ensure you clearly state your advice as requested rather than asking the friend questions about their current situation.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The letter lacks clear paragraphing, which makes the flow of ideas difficult to follow. While there is a logical progression from the greeting to the advice and the specific job offer, the lack of paragraph breaks and the misuse of cohesive devices (e.g., 'Any way', 'First of all') make the structure feel mechanical. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the sentence 'I have a best friend which name is Ahmad', where the connection to the previous thought is abrupt. Using clear paragraph breaks for each bullet point would significantly improve the readability and coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors. For example, 'radiant health' is an unnatural opening, and 'parents was sailed the house' is a significant error in collocation and grammar. You attempt to use more complex vocabulary, such as 'financial strength' and 'opportunity', which is positive, but the overall range is limited. Focus on learning common collocations and improving your control over word forms to ensure your meaning is conveyed more precisely.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement ('parents was sailed'), tense usage ('he need a honest'), and sentence structure ('I have a best friend which name is Ahmad'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing spaces after commas and periods. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic structures prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. You should focus on mastering basic sentence construction, specifically verb tenses and articles, before attempting more complex structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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