Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-18

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 Ravi,

Im writing a clear cut about whether you go to college or doing a job for future.

Actually, education is a key to success and keep learning makes men perfect. But todays world have more complex and tough systems ragarding education so college is not best option for giving gold time instead of job.

Firstly, job plays a vital rule in our life it give us better life and income and also raise a living standard. Although, if you doing job you can afford your home expenses as well as your miscellaneous expenses.

Lastlly, you can apply in software design and engineering companies because you have a lots of experience related to this and make a comfort jone for your family. Also open your own business if you do not job.

If you need any help about how you can run a startup or apply for job I always help you.

yours faithfully

Ekamjeet Singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response successfully covers all three bullet points required by the prompt. You begin by addressing why college might not be the best option, stating that today's educational systems are complex and tough, and you suggest that a job is a better use of time. You then explain why getting a job is beneficial, noting that it raises living standards and helps afford home and miscellaneous expenses. Finally, you suggest suitable job types, such as software design and engineering, and even offer alternatives like starting a business. The tone is appropriate for an informal letter to a friend. However, some ideas remain slightly underdeveloped or brief, placing this response at Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organised into clear paragraphs, starting with an appropriate greeting and concluding with a sign-off. Cohesive devices such as 'Actually', 'Firstly', and 'Lastlly' are used to structure the text, though some transitions feel a bit mechanical or unnatural. There are also spelling errors in the transition words, such as 'Lastlly'. Paragraphing is used adequately to separate distinct ideas, such as reasons against college, reasons for getting a job, and specific job suggestions. The progression of ideas is generally coherent overall, aligning with the descriptors for Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You use an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, attempting some less common phrases like 'vital rule' (intended as vital role) and 'comfort jone' (comfort zone). There are several lexical and spelling errors throughout the text, including 'clear cut', 'ragarding', 'gold time' (good time), and 'Lastlly'. While these errors are noticeable and stem from incorrect word choice or spelling, they do not severely impede overall communication. The vocabulary is minimally sufficient to convey your meaning, fitting the Band 5.5 descriptor.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'Although, if you doing job you can afford your home expenses...' and 'If you need any help about how you can run a startup or apply for job I always help you.' However, there are frequent grammatical errors, including missing articles ('doing job' instead of 'doing a job'), incorrect verb forms ('if you doing job'), and missing prepositions ('apply for job'). Punctuation and sentence boundaries also need attention. Because errors are frequent and occasionally cause some difficulty for the reader, this is graded at Band 5.0.

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

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