Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-22
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 Smith,
I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. I recently recieved your email regarding to ask for advice about whether to go to college or try to get a job.
Firstly, as per I know you are ready to seat for long time in lecture and doing well assigments so I am honestly suggesting you to try to get a better job that need to survive and to cover all expances such as utility bill, house rent and groceries. However, when you get a better job, you will learn about how to earn money after hard working. Therefor, I strongly suggested for finding a that job which suits to you like, cashier, customer service desk or whichever prefer you. I surely agree with your decision to take for an better opportunity in life.
Thank you for you letter and look forward to hearing from you soon. Stay healthy.
Best regards,
Lynn Lia
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response successfully covers all the bullet points outlined in the prompt. You state why your friend would not enjoy college by mentioning that he is not ready to sit for long times in lectures and complete assignments. You also explain why getting a job is a good idea, noting that it will help him learn the value of hard work and cover essential living expenses like rent and bills. Finally, you suggest suitable jobs such as a cashier or customer service desk worker. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat hindered by confusing phrasing and awkward sentence construction. The tone is appropriately semi-formal for a letter to a friend, but the lack of clarity in certain parts keeps this performance at a Band 5.5 level.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The letter is structured with appropriate greetings and sign-offs, and basic cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'However', and 'Therefor' are employed to connect ideas. However, paragraphing is not handled well; the body of the letter is compressed into a single, dense block of text rather than being broken down into logical paragraphs for each prompt requirement. Furthermore, referencing and logical progression are frequently faulty, particularly with sentences like 'as per I know you are ready to seat for long time in lecture', which creates confusion and disrupts the flow of reading. Cohesion is mechanical and inadequate in places, leading to a Band 5.0 score for this criterion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is relatively basic and repetitive, with noticeable word-choice errors that occasionally impede understanding. Examples include 'recieved' (spelling error), 'regard to ask' instead of 'asking', and 'seat' instead of 'sit'. While you attempt some less common vocabulary such as 'expances', 'utility bill', and 'groceries', inaccurate collocations and word forms—such as 'take for an better opportunity' and 'finding a that job which suits to you'—demonstrate a limited and strained lexical range. These frequent inaccuracies place the response firmly in the Band 5.0 category.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The letter displays a very limited range of grammatical structures, and attempts at complex sentences are frequently faulty. There are multiple grammatical and mechanical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues, incorrect prepositions, and structural confusion. Examples of errors include 'recieved your email regarding to ask', 'as per I know', 'job that need to survive', and 'whichever prefer you'. These frequent errors cause noticeable difficulty for the reader and obscure the intended meaning in several places. Control over basic sentence patterns is inconsistent, justifying a band score of 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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