Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-08

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 Lovepreet,

I hope you are doing well.I recievd your letter and thanks for asking my advice about whether you should go to college or find a job. According to my perspective, you should find a better job at this stage.

I recommeded this idea because of earing money and help your parents as well as you will get valueable experience in your career for growing. No doubt colleges provide a useful knowlege, however job will give you practical knowlege.

In addition, there are various skills which you learn through work such as communication, teamwork and time management. A better job not only become you a independent but also help to teach money managment.According to my opinion, you should try to get job in customer service sector like hotel receptionist, shops.

I hope my advice helps. let me know what you decided?

your faithfully

Gurman

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You clearly recommend that Lovepreet get a job, and you give relevant reasons: earning money, helping their parents, gaining experience, and developing practical skills. You also suggest customer-service work, including hotel reception and shops. However, the task asks you to explain why your friend would not enjoy college, and this part is not really addressed; saying that colleges provide useful knowledge does not explain why college would be unsuitable for this person. The reasons for working are also listed rather than developed with personal detail. The response is five words below the required minimum, so it does not meet the length requirement. Add a specific reason college would not suit Lovepreet and expand the advice with an example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a recognisable structure: an opening, a paragraph giving reasons for work, a job suggestion, and a closing. Ideas generally follow a sensible order, and linking expressions such as “In addition” and “however” help connect points. This supports an overall coherent arrangement. Some connections are mechanical or unclear, though. For example, “According to my perspective” and “According to my opinion” repeat the same framing, while the shift from practical skills to independence and then job types could be smoother. The final question, “let me know what you decided?”, also needs clearer punctuation and a more natural transition. Use paragraph breaks and link each reason to the next more deliberately.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of vocabulary for giving advice, including “practical knowledge,” “communication,” “teamwork,” “time management,” and “customer service sector.” These choices make your main message understandable and show some variety beyond basic words. However, several spelling errors and inaccurate word choices reduce precision, such as “recievd,” “recommeded,” “ear ing” (intended as “earning”), “valueable,” and “knowlege.” Some phrases are also unnatural, including “a better job” and “become you a independent.” Aim for accurate spelling and more natural collocations, such as “gain valuable experience” and “become more independent.” A wider range of specific job titles would also make the recommendation more precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a contrast with “however” and a paired structure in “not only … but also.” The meaning is usually clear, and the letter’s basic sentence patterns are understandable. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly with articles, agreement, and sentence construction. For example, “job will give you” needs an article, “A better job not only become you a independent” has problems with the verb and adjective structure, and “help to teach money management” does not express the intended meaning accurately. There are also punctuation and spacing issues, such as “well.I” and the lower-case “let” after a full stop. Practise checking articles, verb forms, and sentence boundaries.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.