Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-16

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 Elsa,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing to offer you some advice about the Political Science program.

First, I would like to express my gratitude to you. Even though we rarely communicate, you still value my opinion. With regards to your inquiry about what undergraduate to take, I suggest that you choose PolSci. I believe that it made my life more meaningful. This is because of all the valuable legal lessons that I learned. Additionally, you'll find it engaging as there will be a lot of debates and discussions where you can present and depend your statements based on legal facts. For instance, studying the Constitutional Law subject, which is the foundation of all the laws passed can definitely guide you whenever you need to present an argument in a class. Most importantly, the program is oriented on providing students both the theories and practical concepts, thereby furtehr equipped them with the training necessary to be successful in their chosen fields, wether in the academe or the public service.

In terms of your university choice, I would say that studying at the University of the Philippines will provide you great opportunities. Aside from being included in the world's list of best Universities, its faculty is well-known and respected in their various fields, which might be able to help you in your career. For example, my professor in Public Policy is the former president of the country who recommended me to the United Nations as an political analyst.

If you decided to apply in the University, please contact me again. I can assist you through the process, from preparing for the entrance exam through post enrollment procedures. In the meantime, you can start working on your college essay as this is one of requirements by the institution.

Good luck and I hope to see you around campus.

Kind regards,

Elisa

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response covers all three bullet points of the prompt clearly and effectively. The writer provides specific details of the Political Science course, such as the inclusion of Constitutional Law and legal debates. Furthermore, the recommendation of the University of the Philippines is well supported by mentioning its global ranking and the expertise of its faculty, exemplified by a professor who is a former president. Finally, actionable advice about the application process is provided, including contacting the writer and preparing a college essay. The tone is appropriately friendly and conversational for a general training letter, maintaining a consistent purpose throughout. All parts of the task are fully addressed and well-developed, aligning strongly with the descriptors for Band 8.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organised with a clear overarching progression. Paragraphs are used appropriately to separate distinct topics, such as course details, university recommendations, and application steps. Cohesive devices are handled effectively, including transitional phrases like 'First', 'Additionally', 'In terms of your university choice', and 'In the meantime'. Referencing is generally clear, and paragraphing follows a standard friendly letter layout. While minor mechanical cohesion could occasionally be polished, the overall flow meets the requirements for a high band by guiding the reader smoothly from the opening greeting to the final sign-off.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient and generally flexible range of vocabulary suited to the context of academic advising. Words and phrases such as 'gratitude', 'inquiry', 'engaging', 'foundation', and 'analyst' are used accurately. There are a few minor lexical slips, such as 'depend your statements' instead of 'defend your statements', 'furtehr equipped them' (typographical and grammatical slip), and 'wether' instead of 'whether'. Despite these occasional inaccuracies, the vocabulary allows for precision and successfully communicates complex thoughts regarding university programs and career paths, fitting comfortably into the Band 7 criteria.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The writer employs a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, featuring relative clauses, conditional sentences, and participial phrases (e.g., 'Even though we rarely communicate, you still value my opinion' and 'Studying the Constitutional Law subject, which is the foundation of all the laws passed can definitely guide you...'). There are some minor grammatical errors, such as missing punctuation around non-defining clauses and slight slips like 'an political analyst' instead of 'a political analyst' and 'apply in the University' instead of 'apply to the university'. However, the majority of sentences are error-free and communication is never impeded, demonstrating strong control over grammar and punctuation.

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

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