Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-05

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 5.5)

Dear Martha,

I hope this letter finds you well. I really apprecite that you asked for my opinion whether is it better to enroll in a college or to start a new career as a junior asisstant in my company.

Honestly, I believe that many people in Egypt don't find an appropriate well-paid job easily. No matter how hard they work to get a suitable job, they end up unempolyed and depressed. So you see, having a certificate or a degree doesn't gaurantee to get a job.

On the other hand, I've been working to Al-Morshedy Company for 4 years and I must admit they always offer competitive salaries for their employees. As a result, I highly recommend to apply for their job interview and to start preparing the mandatory documents.

Furthermore, the Human Resources Department has just announced that the company need employees in many sectors such as information desk, the IT department, and the customer service department. Knowing that you have communication skills, I believe that customer service will be suitablr for you.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yurs

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You give a clear recommendation to seek work, and you explain that a degree does not guarantee employment and that your company offers competitive salaries. You also suggest several departments and connect customer service to Martha’s communication skills. However, the task asks why she would not enjoy college, and this is not directly explained: the point about people in Egypt struggling to find work is about employment prospects, not her likely experience of studying. The advice to apply for a job is relevant, but the reasons and job suggestions need more personal development. Explain, for example, what aspects of college would not suit her interests or preferences, and why particular roles match her strengths.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter has a recognisable structure: an opening, paragraphs presenting reasons and job options, and a closing. Linking phrases such as “On the other hand,” “As a result,” and “Furthermore” help show how the points relate. The progression is not always fully clear, however. The opening combines the choice of college with a specific junior-assistant role, while the next paragraph shifts to general employment conditions in Egypt without explaining how this relates to Martha. The contrast marker “On the other hand” also does not clearly connect the company’s salaries to the preceding point. Organise the body around the three requested points, and use transitions that accurately signal contrast, cause, or addition.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a range of relevant expressions, including “competitive salaries,” “mandatory documents,” and “communication skills,” which help make the advice specific. Some word choices and spelling errors are noticeable, though, and occasionally make the letter less natural: “start a new career as a junior assistant” is awkward for this situation, and “the company need employees” has an incorrect word form. There are also misspellings such as “apprecite,” “unempolyed,” and “gaurantee.” These do not prevent the reader from understanding the main message, but careful proofreading and more natural collocations would improve precision. Choose vocabulary that fits the context of applying for an entry-level position.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including “No matter how hard they work to get a suitable job, they end up unemployed and depressed.” The main message is generally understandable, but several grammatical patterns are inaccurate. For example, write “whether it is better” rather than “whether is it better,” and “I have worked at Al-Morshedy Company for four years” rather than “I've been working to … for 4 years.” In “I highly recommend to apply,” use “I highly recommend applying” or “I recommend that you apply.” The sentence about the company needing employees also requires subject–verb agreement. Review indirect questions, verb patterns after “recommend,” prepositions, and agreement to make your varied sentence structures more controlled.

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