Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-01

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 Elisa,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing to offer you some advice on the course you are planning to study at the Philippines University.

Honestly speaking, I am quite suprised when you said in your email that you are going to apply in the Political Science program of the University, which is similar with what I studied. I thought you are aiming for Math-related course, such as Statistics. Anyways, I am glad that you decided to try another program. I believe the University is still using the same course curricula. You can expect vast amounts of reading materials, which can consequently improve your analytical skills. This is mainly because the materials can enable you to think while reading since you'll come across statements, which you do not always encounter. For instance, in Global Politics, which is a major subject, you'll be expose to various types of political structures something that is different per country, thereby allowing you to explore the reason for their differences.

In terms of your decision to study at the University, I believe that you will have a meaningful and productive stay at the prestigous institution. This is due to the fact that the University is committed to academic excellence, hence it is included in the world's best universities. Additionally, it offers further studies scholarships through its international linkages with various universities. Furthermore, you can have access to essential technological tools, which is essentail in your academic journey. For example, it is the only University in the country with access to Turnitin, a software that can identify plagiarism and Artificial Intelligence usage, which is vital since political science majors are required to produce paper that is based on their own work.

If you have other questions about the application process, do not hesitate to contact me. I suggest that you start first with drafting an essay since this a major requirement for political science majors because the admission team is looking for candidates who can articulate a certain political phenomena with relevance and substance.

Good luck!

Kind regards,

Elsie

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt in a natural, friendly tone appropriate for a letter to a friend. You clearly outlined the course details, such as the heavy reading load and focus on global politics in the Political Science program. Furthermore, you explained why you recommend the university by highlighting its academic excellence and unique software access like Turnitin, and you provided practical advice on starting with an essay for the application. Your position is clear throughout, and the ideas are extended and supported well with examples. To reach an even higher level, you could have ensured that every part of the prompt received an equally deep level of elaboration without over-generalising certain points, though your current coverage easily fulfills the requirements for this band.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

Your letter demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. You make effective use of paragraphs, each dedicated to a distinct topic, starting from course details to institutional recommendations and finally application advice. You also use a variety of cohesive devices flexibly, such as 'Honestly speaking', 'Additionally', and 'Furthermore', which guide the reader smoothly through your thoughts. Referencing is generally well managed, though minor mechanical use of transition markers appears occasionally. To push into higher bands, ensure that cohesive relationships between sentences are entirely seamless and that paragraph transitions feel completely natural without relying heavily on standard connectors.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate to sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items and academic terms such as 'academic excellence', 'international linkages', and 'plagiarism'. However, there are a few spelling and word-choice errors that slightly hinder precision, such as writing 'suprised' instead of 'surprised', 'prestigous' instead of 'prestigious', and 'essentail' instead of 'essential'. Additionally, phrases like 'similar with' could be more idiomatic as 'similar to'. To achieve a higher score, you should aim for greater precision in word choice and eliminate minor spelling slips while expanding your use of sophisticated phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You display a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and conditional structures effectively. There are frequent error-free sentences, such as your opening and closing remarks. However, a few grammatical and punctuation errors persist, such as 'you'll be expose' instead of 'exposed', and occasional comma splices or missing articles like 'produce paper' instead of 'produce a paper'. These errors do not impede communication, but they prevent the grammar score from rising further. To reach the next band, you should aim to maintain a higher proportion of error-free complex sentences and carefully proofread your verb forms and article usage.

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