Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-04

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 Abhishek,

I hope you are doing well. I am over the moon after hearing that you have decided to pursue a masters of chemical engineering degree from the University of Ottawa. I completed the same course last year, and would like to share my rational why you should study here.

I took the coursed based masters of engineering program. The requirement to complete this course was a succesful completion of 30 credits in 24 months. The subjects are quite interesting and engaging with lab sessions. You could choose summer semester as your offical break to relax or could work as part-time worker.

I strongly recommend this university because it's one of Canada's top engineering university. Particularly, the professors have more than 15+ years of teaching experience. The internship and co-op opportunities are excellent for this program. Canada has one of the largest oil and gas reserves, so there are ample amout of employment opportunities after graduation.

To apply, I would recommend you to appear for an IELTS examination as soon as possible. You'll need reference letter from the college professors with degree of completion certificate. Also, I would suggest to work with consultant to submit your student visa application. Should you require more details or information, I am happy to assist you further.

Keep in touch and catch you soon.

Warm regards,

Ryan

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response successfully covers all parts of the communicative task. Ryan clearly outlines the course details, such as the thirty credits required over twenty-four months, explains why the University of Ottawa is recommended as a top Canadian institution with experienced professors, and gives practical advice regarding the IELTS exam, reference letters, and visa consultants. The ideas are extended and supported effectively, maintaining an appropriate semi-formal tone suitable for a letter to a friend. Although some ideas, such as the course structure, are slightly general rather than exhaustively detailed, they remain fully relevant to the prompt, demonstrating a clear position and purpose throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter exhibits a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving smoothly from the greeting and course details to reasons for the recommendation, application advice, and a warm closing. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'To apply', and referencing pronouns are used reasonably well, though some transitions feel a bit mechanical. Paragraphing is managed effectively, with each block of text serving a clear function in advancing the overall message to the friend, resulting in an easily navigable and cohesive reading experience.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'over the moon', 'ample amount', and 'employment opportunities'. However, there are notable lexical slips, word choice issues, and spelling errors that prevent the response from reaching a higher band. For instance, 'rational' is used instead of the noun 'rationale', 'coursed based' contains an unnecessary 'd', 'succesful' is misspelled, and 'ample amout' has a missing letter. Despite these errors, the vocabulary remains sufficient to communicate the message clearly without impeding the reader's understanding.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The writing displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms, with several error-free sentences showcasing control over structure. Ryan successfully uses conditional structures ('Should you require...') and relative clauses. However, a few persistent grammatical errors occur, such as preposition and article issues ('pursue a masters of chemical engineering degree' instead of 'master's degree' and missing articles like 'a consultant') and occasional awkward phrasing ('recommend you to appear' instead of 'recommend that you take'). These errors in grammar and punctuation are minor and rarely impede communication, reflecting a solid command of sentence mechanics with room for finer accuracy.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.