Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-23

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 5.0)

Dear Abc

I hope you're doing well, I recently recieved your letter asking my guidence wheather, to persue college or to get a job.

I honestly think that you should get a job rightaway, because you are already a post graduate scholar and continuing with another post graduation degree won't be a good decision. Apart from that, in this compitative world securing a decent job is not easy, as it takes time to a find a good paying job. In my opinion you should start aplying now for entry level jobs like assistant professor or assistant

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

Your position is clear: you recommend getting a job, and you give a relevant reason by noting that your friend already has a postgraduate qualification. However, the response addresses the task only minimally. It does not explain why your friend would dislike college, and the benefits of employment are only briefly suggested through the point that finding a well-paid job takes time. The job suggestions begin with “assistant professor or assistant” but the second option is unfinished, so suitable work is not adequately covered. The response is also 54 words below the required minimum, leaving too little space to develop all three points. Add specific reasons and examples, and complete the letter’s advice.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The ideas follow a basic sequence: you acknowledge the letter, state your recommendation, give a reason, and begin suggesting jobs. Linking phrases such as “Apart from that” and “In my opinion” help show how the points relate. However, the response ends abruptly in the middle of a job suggestion, and there is no closing, so it does not feel like a complete letter. The opening also combines several ideas in one long sentence, making the progression less clear. Use separate paragraphs for your view, the advantages of working, and suitable jobs, then finish with a friendly closing. This would create clearer overall progression and make the advice easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “post graduate scholar,” “decent job,” “entry level jobs,” and “good paying job.” These phrases communicate the general subject and show an attempt to use more specific language than basic everyday terms. However, spelling errors and awkward word combinations are noticeable, including “recieved,” “guidence,” “wheather,” “compitative,” and “aplying.” Some expressions are also imprecise: “post graduate scholar” is not the natural way to describe someone who has completed postgraduate study, and “good paying job” would be more naturally expressed as “well-paid job.” Check spelling carefully and choose conventional collocations to make your advice sound more fluent and precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms. For example, “I honestly think that you should get a job rightaway, because…” gives a clear recommendation and reason, while the clause beginning “as it takes time” adds an explanation. The main meaning is generally understandable, but sentence boundaries and punctuation need more control. The opening joins two complete thoughts with a comma: “I hope you're doing well, I recently…”; use a full stop or a suitable conjunction. The final sentence is incomplete, ending with “assistant,” and the letter has no closing sentence. Break long sentences into complete units and check that every sentence has a finished main clause.

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