Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-11-02
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 Diljit,
I recently attended your concert in Surrey, British Columbia. Honestly, this concert was one of the best concerts of my life.
First of all, I have seen you on the screen since my childhood. However, watching you live was so pleasant and overwhelming. Moreover, your performance was full of energy, and it made all of us feel on fire. All of the songs were so good, but if i have to choose one favourite performance, that would be "IK KUDI" , it gave me goosebumps. Not only me, but all the audience had tears in their eyes whilst this performace.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 3.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0
The opening clearly identifies the concert and conveys strong admiration: calling it “one of the best concerts of my life” and describing “goosebumps” gives a personal response to the performance. However, the letter addresses only the first bullet point. It gives no details about your own musical activities and does not explain what help you would like from Diljit, so two essential parts of the task are missing. The response is also below the required 150 words, leaving little room to develop the ideas. To make the letter complete, add specific information about an instrument, singing, or other musical involvement, then make a clear request—for example, advice, feedback, or a chance to attend a rehearsal.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The ideas about the concert follow a generally understandable order: you introduce where you attended, then describe the experience and identify a favourite song. Connectors such as “First of all,” “However,” and “Moreover” help signal the progression, and the contrast between seeing the singer on screen and watching him live is clear. At the same time, the response is a single short block, and the sequence of connectors feels somewhat mechanical. The letter also stops before moving to the other requested topics, so its overall progression is incomplete. Use separate paragraphs for your reaction, your musical activities, and your request, and link them with natural transitions rather than relying on a list of signposts.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.5
You use an adequate range of vocabulary to express enthusiasm, including “overwhelming,” “full of energy,” and “goosebumps.” These choices make your reaction vivid, and the meaning remains clear throughout. There is some awareness of expressive language, but several phrases are broad or slightly unnatural for a personal letter: “feel on fire” is unclear in this context, while “all the audience had tears in their eyes” could be expressed more precisely. There is also a spelling error in “performace” and inconsistent capitalisation in “i” and the song title. Aim for more precise collocations and check spelling and capitalisation carefully; this would make the positive vocabulary more natural and controlled.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5
The response includes a mix of simple sentences and more complex forms. For example, “However, watching you live was so pleasant and overwhelming” uses a participial opening, and “if I have to choose one favourite performance, that would be…” attempts a conditional structure. Most sentences are understandable, and grammatical errors do not prevent the reader from following your meaning. Some control is still needed: in the conditional sentence, “that would be” would be more naturally matched with “if I had to choose”; the sentence beginning “Not only me” is not grammatically complete as written; and the comma before “it gave me goosebumps” joins two independent clauses. Practise complete sentence structures, conditional consistency, and punctuation between clauses.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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