Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-16

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You work for an international company. You have seen an advertisement for a training course which will be useful for your job.

Write a letter to your manager. In your letter

• describe the training course you want to do
• explain what the company could do to help you
• say how the course will be useful for your job

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Dear sir or madam,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to inform that i have came through an advertisement for an advance communication training course and i want to join because i believe it will help me in our workplace.

After seeing this advertisement, i have talked with boss regarding this course and i have gotten a positive response from him. They are ready to sponsor for course and allow me attend course from workplace as well as they have given me an extra holiday on friday to cover up this course as soon as possible.

As i am working in international company, we have many worldwide clients and to deal with them company wants someone who can deal and communicate effectively with them. as a result we will get overall huge amount of business and helps to get maximum profit.

I am waiting for your feedback.

yours faithfully,

Fenil patel

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all three bullet points: describing the course, explaining the company's support, and detailing the benefits. However, the development is somewhat limited. The description of the course is vague, simply calling it an 'advance communication training course' without specific details. Additionally, the letter is addressed to 'Dear sir or madam' but then mentions having already spoken to a 'boss' about the course, which creates a slight logical inconsistency in the tone and context of a formal request. While the task is addressed, the ideas could be expanded with more professional detail to fully satisfy the requirements of a formal business letter.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of ideas. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and limited. For example, the transition 'as a result' is used, but the overall flow between sentences is occasionally choppy. The referencing is sometimes unclear, such as the use of 'they' in the second paragraph, which refers back to the 'boss' mentioned earlier. While the structure is logical, the lack of varied linking words and occasional awkward phrasing prevents a higher score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the sophistication expected at higher bands. There are several instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'came through an advertisement' (should be 'came across') and 'cover up this course' (should be 'complete' or 'attend'). The phrasing 'get overall huge amount of business' is informal and lacks the professional tone required for a business letter. While the meaning is generally clear, the range of vocabulary is limited to basic, everyday business terms, and there is a lack of flexibility in expressing ideas.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. There are frequent issues with article usage ('an international company', 'the company'), subject-verb agreement, and verb tense consistency, such as 'i have came' instead of 'I have come'. Additionally, there is a lack of capitalization for the personal pronoun 'I' and the start of sentences. While the writer attempts some complex structures, these are often marred by errors. The punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas and capitalization in the closing.

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