Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-28

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 friend,

I am glad you asked for my advice, according to my opening you should start getting a job, because you recently got your master's degree done in healthcare, you was top rank student in the college you have also two years of experience in volunteering job, i think so you should go to find a job that will help to made you financially strong and i will help to gain more experience and opportunity to learn more about health .While doing job in nursing, you will become a successful doctor . You have so many options in future to choose a option ,such as nurse , nurse assistant, receptionist, medical office administration and other jobs that are related with your nursing education .

Your faithfully

harpreet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You make your recommendation clear: you advise your friend to seek work, and you suggest several healthcare-related roles, including nursing, reception, and medical office administration. These points are relevant to the task. However, the letter only minimally addresses the required reasons: it does not explain why your friend would dislike college, and the benefits of employment are stated briefly rather than developed. The claim that working in nursing will make the friend a successful doctor is also unclear. The response is 22 words below the required minimum, which limits the space available to explain and support the advice. Add specific reasons college may not suit this friend and explain how a suitable job would help them.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

The reader can identify your main recommendation and the list of possible jobs, so there is a basic connection between the ideas. However, nearly the whole message is presented as one long sentence, with several points joined by commas and “and.” This makes the advice difficult to follow and means the information is not arranged coherently. The opening, reasons for working, and job suggestions would be clearer in separate paragraphs, each focused on one purpose. Use linking phrases such as “Firstly,” “In addition,” and “For example” to show how the points relate, and finish with a clear closing sentence. The sign-off is present, but the letter needs a more organised progression overall.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “master’s degree,” “volunteering,” “experience,” and several healthcare job titles. This gives the reader a general understanding of your advice. However, the range is limited, and some word combinations are unnatural or imprecise, such as “financially strong,” “made you financially strong,” and “learn more about health.” The phrase “a option” also shows difficulty selecting the correct form. Aim for more natural expressions and precise descriptions of the benefits of work, such as earning an income, gaining practical experience, or developing healthcare skills. A wider range of suitable vocabulary would make the letter clearer and more convincing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to connect several ideas in longer sentences, but the response relies heavily on one extended sentence, and errors often make the relationships between ideas unclear. For example, “you was top rank student” has errors in subject–verb agreement and article use, while “i will help to gain” does not clearly identify who will gain experience. The sentence beginning “because you recently got your master's degree” also runs into several separate ideas without clear sentence boundaries. Use shorter, complete sentences and check verb forms, articles, capitalisation, and punctuation. You can then add variety with controlled complex sentences, for example, explaining that a job would be useful because it offers practical experience.

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

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