Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-12

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 Tunji,

how are you doing today, i hope you are doing well? I received your letter dated 7th August, 2026 requesting me to advice you on wether to go to college or look for a job.

Firstly, looking for job will be best Financial decision. i am aware of your position as the first child in the family with other three siblings, if you are stocked with college fee payment no one will be there ro support you.

Additonally, In today's present job market, employers values job experience to college certificate. Optioning for job would help you accommulate lots of experience which will be a better advantage to someone who go to College.

Lastly, i would recommend you to seek for any type of trade jobs wether plumming, weldering, electrician and more, these are the type of job that you can learn while doing the job and the get paid handsomely and with time on the job tou will gather experience which you will later become master in the job and also have the opportunity to hire people with collect certificate.

I hope you will find my advice useful, my regards to you and your family.

Yours,

Tijani

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You give a clear overall recommendation to seek work and address the financial situation, the value of experience, and suitable trades such as plumbing, welding, and electrical work. However, the task also asks why your friend would not enjoy college, and this is not directly explained: the point about struggling to pay fees is a practical concern, not a reason he would dislike studying. The job advice is relevant, but claims such as employers valuing experience over certificates are broad and would benefit from a specific link to your friend’s interests or abilities. Develop each required point more fully and make the college-related reason explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a recognisable structure: an opening, a sequence of advice points, and a closing. Connectors such as “Firstly,” “Additionally,” and “Lastly” make the progression easy to follow, and the recommendation remains consistent. This coherent arrangement is a strength. However, the sequence is somewhat mechanical, and the first paragraph moves straight into the financial case without clearly setting out why college would not suit your friend. Some sentences also carry several ideas at once, particularly the final sentence about trade work, learning, pay, experience, and hiring others. Use clearer paragraphing for each task point and divide long sentences so the links between ideas are easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “job market,” “job experience,” “trade jobs,” and “handsomely,” and the reader can generally understand your advice. However, spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable and sometimes make the message harder to interpret, as in “wether,” “stocked,” “Optioning,” “accommulate,” and “plumming.” Some expressions are also unnatural, such as “best Financial decision” and “master in the job.” Aim for accurate, natural collocations and check spelling carefully. More precise language for the friend’s circumstances and the benefits of particular trades would make the advice clearer and more convincing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentence forms, including a conditional idea in “if you are … with college fee payment,” and the letter’s main message is usually understandable. However, complex sentences are often not controlled successfully, and errors occur frequently. For example, “employers values” has a subject–verb agreement error, while “I hope you are doing well?” uses a question mark for a statement. There are also problems with articles and sentence boundaries, as in “looking for job will be best Financial decision.” Practise building accurate sentences with one main idea, then add subordinate clauses once the basic structure is secure. Check agreement, articles, capitalization, and punctuation during revision.

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