Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-03

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

A friend of yours is thinking about applying for the same course that you did at university. He/She has asked for your advice about studying this subject. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter

• give details of the course you took at the university
• explain why you recommend the university
• give some advice about how to apply

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

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

Student answer (Band 7.0)

Dear Josephine,

I hope you are doing well.

I got your letter asking for advice regarding the course i studied for my Graduate program. I am really glad you had a rethink concerning going back to school. I studied Nursing/ Nursing Science at University of Lagos State. I chose this course because of the recent increase in demand of Nurses in the healthcare system. Due to the rapid immigration of graduate Nurses, there is currently a very high demand and I really just wanted to put myself in a position to not be unemployed for too long after graduation.

In addition, my university is ranked the best in Nigeria and the world class lecturers made it a good fit for me. It was really a very easy decision because my parents also attended the school. Furthermore, you get to make meaningful connections that last a life time in a world class school.

However, I would advice you get a form and submit you application as early as possible because courses like this are very competitive and is given not just on merit, but on a first come first serve bases. So go to the schools website www.unilag.com and submit an application. You would need your WAEC result and a small fee of 3000 naira.

I wish you all the best.

Best wishes,

Favour

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You provided details about the Nursing course, explained the benefits of the university, and offered clear, actionable advice on the application process. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, maintaining a friendly and helpful persona throughout. The ideas are relevant and sufficiently developed to meet the requirements of the task. To reach a higher band, ensure that all details provided are consistent; for instance, you mention the university is in Lagos State but then provide a generic website link. Overall, the response is well-focused and fulfills the communicative purpose effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with clear paragraphing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, which helps the reader follow your ideas easily. You use some cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'Furthermore', and 'However' to link your thoughts. While the flow is generally good, some transitions could be more varied to improve the natural progression of the text. For example, the shift between the course description and the university recommendation is smooth, but the final paragraph could benefit from a more sophisticated concluding link. Overall, the structure is clear and serves the purpose of the letter well.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your ideas clearly. Phrases like 'world class lecturers', 'meaningful connections', and 'competitive' are used appropriately. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'advice' (which should be the verb 'advise') and 'bases' (which should be 'basis'). However, these errors do not impede communication. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations or slightly more sophisticated synonyms to elevate the tone. Your vocabulary is functional and fits the context of a friendly letter well.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'I studied for my Graduate program' (should be 'in') and 'is given' (should be 'are given' to agree with 'courses'). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and capitalization errors, such as the lowercase 'i' in 'i studied'. Despite these errors, the meaning is always clear, and the grammar does not hinder the reader's understanding. To achieve a higher score, focus on subject-verb agreement and proofreading for small mechanical errors.

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

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