Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-09
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 Khushi,
Hopefully, you and your husband are doing great, by the grace of God. I am happy to hear that you are planning to pursue the same course that I was in before.
Recently, I finished my master's in management at York University in North York. I studied valuable subjects during my course, such as project management, marketing, human resources, and business management. All the professors were helpful, and we also participated in group projects that helped us develop good communication skills and teamwork.
I would highly recommend you to go to the same university because it has friendly and experienced professors who can help you to achieve your desired goal. Moreover, universities offer their student more career opportunities and have a good reputation.
If you are interested, then let me know; I will guide you through all the steps on how you can submit your application. Before that, you should have all the documents ready, such as your academic transcript, degree certificates, and English test results.
I hope this letter finds you well. Please let me know if you need any further assistance regarding your application.
Kind regards,
Kevin
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.0 |
| Overall | 7.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0
The letter addresses all three requested points and maintains a friendly, appropriate tone. You give concrete course details by naming your master’s in management and listing subjects such as project management, marketing, and human resources. You also explain your recommendation through the helpful professors and career opportunities, then offer to guide Khushi through the application and identify documents to prepare. These ideas are clear and relevant, with the group-project example adding useful support. However, the reasons for choosing York University are somewhat general: “good reputation” and “more career opportunities” would be more persuasive if linked to a specific feature or experience. A little more detail about the application process would also strengthen the advice.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0
The information is organised in a clear sequence: a personal opening, course details, reasons for recommending the university, application advice, and a courteous closing. Paragraphing helps the reader follow each part of the letter, and linking expressions such as “Moreover” and “Before that” make relationships between ideas clear. The progression is logical throughout, and the friendly opening and sign-off suit the purpose. To make the organisation more polished, connect the recommendation more directly to your own experience, rather than moving from professors to broad claims about universities. The phrase “If you are interested, then let me know” also slightly interrupts the application advice; you could introduce the practical steps more directly and keep the offer of help as a concluding sentence.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
Your vocabulary is adequate for the task and includes relevant course-related terms such as “project management,” “human resources,” “academic transcript,” and “English test results.” Phrases including “group projects,” “communication skills,” and “career opportunities” help convey your experience clearly. However, some wording is broad or not quite natural for a personal letter. “I was in before” is an imprecise way to refer to the course you completed, while “universities offer their student more career opportunities” is awkward and general. “Achieve your desired goal” is also less specific than the context allows. Aim for more precise, natural collocations and avoid repeating general terms such as “course” and “university” when a more exact phrase would add detail.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0
You use a range of sentence forms, including complex clauses such as “because it has friendly and experienced professors who can help you” and “Before that, you should have all the documents ready.” Most sentences are clear and grammatically controlled, and punctuation generally supports the meaning. A few errors remain. In “the same course that I was in before,” the structure is not appropriate for describing a course you completed; use “the same course I took” or “the course I completed.” In “universities offer their student,” the possessive determiner and noun do not agree in number; write “universities offer their students.” Also, “I would highly recommend you to go” would be more accurately formed as “I would highly recommend that you go” or “I would recommend the university to you.”
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