Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-29

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 Franklin,

I am writing for giving a friendly advice for you where you are going to college or to get a job that fits on you. In college, you must be responsible for yourself first through studying and learning, but some students prefer to have a part-time job while they are in college. Wherein, they considered themselves to earn compare to study, so many students they can't finish their tertiary level.

Pursuing your job is much preferred for me, because you can earn with yourself and able to buy what you are wanted. And you can also support your family with their needs and essentials. However, many jobs are opened in cafeterias and I think you are qualified to that, one of my friends is interested with your experienced in bartending.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You give a clear recommendation to get a job and include a reason, saying it would let your friend earn money and support the family. You also suggest cafeteria work and connect bartending experience to a possible role. However, the explanation of why college would not suit your friend is unclear: the point about students choosing work over study is general and does not explain your friend’s likely preferences. The job benefits and suitable roles are also only briefly developed, and the letter ends without a closing. The response is 18 words below the required minimum, so there is limited space to address all three bullet points fully. Add specific reasons tailored to Franklin and develop each suggestion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The ideas follow a basic order: you introduce the choice, discuss college, recommend employment, and suggest a type of work. This gives the reader a general sense of the letter’s purpose. However, the response is presented as one paragraph, so the shift from college to job advice is not clearly signposted. Some links are awkward or unclear, particularly “Wherein” and the transition into “However, many jobs are opened in cafeterias.” The repeated use of “and” also makes the final section feel like a list rather than a developed explanation. Use separate paragraphs for the college concern, job benefits, and suitable work, with clear linking phrases and a conventional sign-off.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “part-time job,” “tertiary level,” “support your family,” and “bartending.” These choices show an attempt to discuss education and employment rather than relying entirely on very basic terms. However, several word combinations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “friendly advice,” “earn with yourself,” “what you are wanted,” and “qualified to that.” These expressions can make your meaning difficult to follow. The range is also limited, with repeated references to “job” and “college.” Build accuracy by learning common collocations for giving advice, earning money, and describing qualifications, and use more precise terms for the kinds of work your friend could do.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentence forms, including a sentence beginning “because” and one that links several ideas with “and.” The main message is generally recoverable, but errors occur frequently in sentence construction and grammatical patterns. For example, “I am writing for giving” uses an incorrect verb form, while “you must be responsible for yourself first through studying” is awkwardly structured. In “many students they can't finish,” the subject is repeated, and “one of my friends is interested with your experienced” has problems with the preposition and word form. Practise accurate infinitive and gerund patterns, subject–verb structure, and sentence boundaries. Shorter, carefully checked sentences would improve clarity.

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

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