Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-20

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 Gordan,

I hope you and your family doing well. Its been a long time since we last caught up. I got your letter about suggestion for joining college or find a job. I believe, you should get to get a job in your, there are lot of benefits of a job.

Since you passed your diploma in the mechanical engineering. The skills and theory taught us during the course was enough to crack a high paying job. If you join college for further education, it will be provide you theoretical knowledge; however companies nowadays preffer a person with pratical skills.

As I mentioned, there are lots of benefits of a job. You will get exposure of job market and you will develop an idea that what skills employers are currently looking. As mechanical engineering is a vast feild, you can apply for different jobs such as Project engineer, Design engineer and so on.

Please feel free to reach me out for further questions.

Lovingly,

Pankaj.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You clearly recommend getting a job and address all three requested points. Your diploma in mechanical engineering provides a relevant reason for this advice, and you suggest suitable roles such as project or design engineer. You also explain that work would offer exposure to the job market and help your friend understand employers’ needs. However, the point about why your friend would not enjoy college is only partly addressed: you contrast further study’s theoretical focus with employers’ preference for practical skills, but do not explain what specifically might make college unenjoyable for this person. The benefits of employment are relevant but could be developed with a personal example or a clearer link to your friend’s interests. A more explicit explanation of each point would make the advice more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a clear overall sequence: you introduce the choice, discuss college, explain the advantages of work, and close politely. Paragraphing helps separate the main ideas, and phrases such as “As I mentioned” and “however” guide the reader through your reasoning. Some connections are less smooth or precise, though. “I believe, you should get to get a job in your” interrupts the opening and makes the recommendation difficult to follow, while “Since you passed your diploma…” is a sentence fragment rather than a complete transition into your reason. The reference in “the skills and theory taught us” is also unclear. To strengthen progression, use complete topic sentences and connect each paragraph directly to the advice, avoiding repeated or awkward linking phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “mechanical engineering,” “practical skills,” “job market,” and “Project engineer” and “Design engineer.” These choices make your main message understandable and show some range beyond basic everyday language. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “crack a high paying job,” “exposure of job market,” and “reach me out.” There are also spelling errors in “preffer,” “pratical,” and “feild,” which reduce the accuracy of the vocabulary. Aim for natural combinations such as “secure a well-paid job,” “gain exposure to the job market,” and “contact me.” Checking spelling and choosing standard collocations would make your advice sound more fluent and professional.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a contrast with “however” and a conditional-style explanation of what further education would provide. The overall meaning is usually clear, but some errors in sentence structure, verb forms, articles, and punctuation remain. For example, “I hope you and your family doing well” needs a finite verb, and “If you join college … it will be provide” has an incorrect verb construction. “Since you passed your diploma…” is a dependent clause presented as a sentence, while “there are lot of benefits” is missing an article. The opening also contains confusing punctuation around “I believe.” Practise complete clauses and accurate verb patterns, then proofread for articles and sentence boundaries; this will help you express your ideas with greater control.

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

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