Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-26

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You recently went to a concert and thought one of the singers was very good. You want to tell him how you feel. Write a letter to the singer. In your letter

• say how you feel about his performance
• give details of your musical activities
• explain how you would like him to help you with your musical activities

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear .................. ,

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Dear john,

I hope you are doing great. I saw you on 23rd of april in brampton during your show. It a great night and with your performance the night became more memorable.

I am very pleased to say you that your performance was incredible and worth watching. you sung 'in the nights' song which is one of my favorite song. Moreover, i also want to tell u that i do have keen interest in music. Since my childhood, i performed on so many shows.

i would really appreciate if u can teach me that how to play guitar. I am facing difficulty in that and i hope you will definitely consider my request.

With regards,

jashan

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: expressing feelings about the performance, describing musical activities, and requesting help. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum, which limits the development of ideas. The content is quite brief; for instance, the description of your musical activities is limited to a single sentence about performing in shows. To achieve a higher band, you need to expand on your points with more detail and depth. The tone is generally appropriate for a letter to a singer, but the lack of length prevents a full development of the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organised into short paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite basic. You use 'Moreover' to link ideas, but the overall flow is somewhat disjointed due to the brevity of the sentences. The paragraphing is present, but the transitions between the introduction, the body, and the conclusion could be smoother. To improve, try to use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph contains more than two or three sentences to create a more cohesive narrative.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is functional but limited. You use simple phrases like 'very pleased' and 'keen interest'. While these are accurate, they do not demonstrate the range required for higher bands. There are also some informal choices, such as using 'u' instead of 'you', which is inappropriate for a formal or semi-formal letter. To improve, aim to incorporate more descriptive adjectives and precise musical terminology. Avoid abbreviations and ensure that your word choices are consistently formal throughout the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The letter contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent errors in punctuation and grammar, such as 'It a great night' (missing verb), 'you sung' (incorrect past participle), and 'teach me that how to play' (awkward phrasing). Capitalisation is also inconsistent, particularly with 'john' and 'i'. These errors occur frequently enough to be noticeable. To reach a higher band, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct verb tenses, and consistent use of capital letters for proper nouns and the pronoun 'I'.

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

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