Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · 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 4.5)

Dear James

How are you doing, concerning you the job we are talking i prefer you get Job now than entering to college because it will help you save some money to carry out some family needs and also help you siblings, because eating have become tedious in Nigeria of economic, and how the government works now getting a job will be of help to you and your family now

if i should recommend a job for you bow i prefer you get a sales rep job or you get a event manager it pays well in Nigeria and it will help you gather some money for you people and your siblings education for now because the way things are not now going to college won't be the best Idea now

remember daddy is at home sick and he can't help the family again because of his health conditions

the sales rep and event manager is a good job that can pay you wiill now while you save up some money to take care of yourself and also your siblings because if daddy conditions abs i know it wull help you bro

best regards.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You make your recommendation clear: you think James should work rather than go to college, and you suggest sales representative and event manager roles. You also give relevant reasons, including helping his siblings and supporting the family while his father is ill. However, the task asks why James would not enjoy college, and this is not really explained; you mainly say it is not the best choice financially or at present. The job benefits and suggested roles are also repeated rather than developed with specific details about why they suit him. To strengthen the response, explain what aspects of college he might dislike and connect each job suggestion to his interests or abilities.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is some paragraphing, and the response broadly moves from your recommendation to job suggestions and family circumstances. However, the ideas are not arranged in a consistently clear progression: the reasons for working, the job options, and the father’s illness are mixed together and then repeated. Linking phrases such as “because” and “and also” recur, while references such as “it” and “you people” do not always make the meaning clear. The closing “best regards” is appropriate, but the letter would be easier to follow if each paragraph had one purpose: explain why college may not suit James, outline the benefits of work, and then recommend suitable jobs with reasons.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “college,” “sales rep,” “event manager,” “family needs,” and “health conditions,” so the main topic is generally identifiable. However, the range is limited and several phrases are inaccurate or unclear, such as “concerning you the job we are talking,” “eating have become tedious,” and “gather some money for you people.” Spelling errors, including “wiill,” “wull,” and “abs,” also make parts difficult to understand. Aim for more precise, natural expressions and check spelling carefully. For example, you could describe the economic situation as “the rising cost of living” and say that work would help James “support his family” or “contribute to his siblings’ education.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt to connect ideas in longer sentences, for example when explaining that a job could help James save money and support his siblings. However, these longer structures are often faulty, and sentence boundaries are frequently unclear. Examples include “because eating have become tedious in Nigeria of economic” and “the sales rep and event manager is a good job,” where agreement and sentence construction interfere with meaning. There are also inconsistent verb forms and missing or misplaced punctuation, as in “the way things are not now going to college won't be the best Idea now.” Use shorter, complete sentences first, checking subject–verb agreement and verb forms, then add a few accurately controlled complex sentences.

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

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