Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-04
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)
Friend
Hello dear, I hope you are doing great. I acknowledged your concern. My advice for you to go with job if it make sense to you that this opportunity you can not missed. And eventually after completion of college you will be searching a job in your field.
It might be not cheerful college days to you because university demand regular attendance and attention towards assignments and presentation. And for you it will be bit difficult to attend and pay attention regularly due to family conditions.
To go with Job will be better option for you. Your family needs your financial support. They are expecting better lifestyle from you.
In my opinion getting job in finance will be much better opportunity. You are best in accounts and managing finance. Also you have great communication skills which will be desired in public dealing.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response addresses the main parts of the task by touching upon why college might not be suitable, explaining the benefits of getting a job, and suggesting a specific field. However, several ideas remain limited and under-developed. For instance, the reason regarding family conditions is mentioned only briefly without sufficient expansion, and the advice lacks full elaboration. Additionally, the length requirement is not met, as the response falls short of the minimum word count. To reach a higher level, all bullet points need to be extended with fully supported, relevant details.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The letter maintains a coherent overall arrangement with clear paragraphing used to separate distinct points, such as reasons against college and recommendations for employment. However, referencing and transitions are sometimes faulty or mechanical, as seen in abrupt sentence openings like 'To go with Job will be better option for you' which disrupts the natural flow. Cohesive devices are basic rather than flexible. To achieve a higher band, the writer should ensure smoother logical links between sentences and paragraphs to improve overall progression.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, though the range is limited. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary, such as 'financial support' and 'public dealing', but this is accompanied by noticeable errors in word choice, form, and collocation, such as writing 'I acknowledged your concern' instead of acknowledging advice, or 'go with job' instead of 'take a job'. These lexical inaccuracies cause some difficulty for the reader. To improve, the student needs to focus on natural phrasing, correct word forms, and standard collocations.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The text relies heavily on a limited range of simple and basic sentence structures, and attempts at more complex phrases are often faulty, such as 'It might be not cheerful college days to you'. There are frequent errors in verb forms, articles, and prepositions, including 'if it make sense' and 'getting job in finance'. These frequent grammatical errors can cause difficulty and strain for the reader. To progress, the writer should practice forming accurate complex sentences and paying closer attention to basic grammatical agreements and article usage.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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