Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-25

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)

Hi dear,

I am writing this letter to you for clarification on your confusion between choosing job and study.I think choosing is good option for this at the moment as i understand that you have responsibityof your family thus, if you will select the study option it can be stressfull and it require a lot more time so, i am suggesting you to apply for job according to your taste of choice in any field where you will feel more confident and later you will get good experience in your job and earn good amount of money from it which will assist you survive smoothly and if you still want to study in future you can enroll without any hesitation.I want to suggest you that you should go for customer service representative because it will be helful for you to grow in future not only this but also i will help you to be confident to take part in high standard intervierw.

your friend,

DILPREET

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You make your recommendation clear: you advise your friend to work now, referring to family responsibilities, earning money, and the option of studying later. You also suggest a customer-service representative role, so the main parts of the task are present. However, the explanation of why college would not suit your friend is brief and mostly says it would be stressful and time-consuming; a specific reason linked to your friend’s interests or circumstances would make this more convincing. The benefits of employment are relevant but are listed rather than developed, and the job suggestion needs clearer explanation of why it matches your friend’s abilities. Develop each point with a concrete example and keep the advice focused on your friend.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The letter has a recognisable opening, advice section and sign-off, and the reader can follow your overall recommendation. However, most of the content is packed into one long paragraph, so the reasons, benefits and job suggestion do not form clear stages. The repeated linking expressions “thus,” “so,” and “not only this but also” make the progression feel mechanical, and some connections are unclear—for example, how a customer-service role will help your friend “take part in high standard interview.” Use separate paragraphs for your reasons against college, the advantages of work, and suitable jobs. Shorter sentences and clearer links between each idea would make the letter easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “responsibility,” “experience,” “earn,” and “customer service representative,” and your meaning is generally understandable. There is some attempt to use more formal expressions, such as “without any hesitation,” but several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, including “choosing job and study,” “good amount of money,” and “assist you survive smoothly.” Spelling errors such as “responsibity,” “stressfull,” “helful,” and “intervierw” also reduce accuracy. Aim for natural phrases that suit a friendly letter, and check spelling carefully. More precise vocabulary for your friend’s interests and strengths would also help explain why the suggested work is suitable.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to connect ideas in longer sentences and use conditional forms, as in “if you still want to study in future you can enroll.” However, the response relies heavily on one extended sentence, and complex structures are often faulty or difficult to process. For example, “if you will select the study option it can be stressfull and it require” has an incorrect conditional form and subject–verb agreement; “I am writing this letter to you for clarification on your confusion” is also awkwardly constructed. There are missing spaces after full stops and inconsistent capitalisation, while commas do not clearly separate clauses. Practise building shorter, complete sentences, then add accurate subordinate clauses and punctuation.

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

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