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 John,
i hope you are doing well, I was delighted to receive your letter asking for my advice on wether you should contiue your education at college or look for a job.
Hving carefully considered your situation, I strongly believe that getting a job would be a better option for you.
Firstly, I remember that you have never enjoyed spending long hours studying lectures. you have always preferred practical activities to classroom learning.
Therefore, going to college might make fill bored and frustrated
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 3.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0
You establish a clear recommendation—“getting a job would be a better option”—and begin to explain why college may not suit John, referring to his preference for practical activities over classroom learning. However, the response is incomplete: it does not explain the benefits of employment or suggest any suitable types of job, so two required points are not addressed. The explanation of why college would be unenjoyable also stops before developing the idea. The response contains 84 words, which is 66 words below the required minimum of 150. To improve, complete all three bullet points with specific reasons and examples, such as how work would provide practical experience and which roles match his interests.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The ideas that are present follow a sensible order: you introduce the advice, state your recommendation, and then give a reason related to John’s learning preferences. “Firstly” and “Therefore” help show the relationship between points. However, the letter ends abruptly after “going to college might make fill bored and frustrated,” with no closing or transition to the other required topics. Paragraphing is attempted, but the very short response does not yet show progression across a complete letter. Develop each point in a separate paragraph and use clear links between them—for example, move from why college may not suit him to the practical advantages of work, then to suitable jobs.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use some appropriate language for giving advice, including “I strongly believe,” “a better option,” and “practical activities.” These phrases communicate your position and show some range beyond very basic vocabulary. However, spelling errors such as “wether,” “contiue,” and “Hving” are noticeable, and “spending long hours studying lectures” is an awkward collocation; “attending long lectures” or “studying for long hours” would be more natural. The vocabulary is also limited to the opening of the letter, so there is little evidence of range across the full task. Check spelling carefully and use precise language to describe job benefits and suitable roles.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response includes both simple sentences and a more complex opening sentence with a clause explaining why John wrote. The recommendation is expressed clearly, and “you have always preferred practical activities” uses the present perfect appropriately. However, there are errors in sentence boundaries and punctuation: after “doing well,” the next independent clause is joined with a comma, and “you have always preferred” begins with a lowercase letter after a full stop. The final sentence is incomplete or incorrectly formed: “might make fill bored and frustrated” needs a subject and the pattern “might make you feel bored and frustrated.” Use a wider range of complete sentence structures and proofread punctuation and clause construction.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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