Band 9.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 9.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-03

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

Your English-speaking friend who lives in your town has asked for your advice about learning a new sport. Write an email to your friend. In your email:

• recommend a new sport that would be suitable for your friend to learn
• explain how your friend could learn this sport
• suggest that you both learn this sport together

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

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

 

Student answer (Band 9.0)

Dear Sam,

I hope you are doing well. Thank you for asking me for advice about learning a new sport. I've been thinking about it, and I believe badminton would be a great choice for you. It is an enjoyable sport that is suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels. It's also easy to learn, and you don't need expensive equipment to get started. Besides helping you stay healthy, badminton can improve your balance, speed, and coordination. It is also a wonderful way to meet new people and spend time outdoors or at a local sports centre.

I think the best way to learn badminton is by joining a beginner's class at the community sports centre. A coach can teach you the basic rules, how to hold the racket correctly, and the proper techniques for serving and returning the shuttlecock. You could also watch online tutorial videos and practise the skills at home or in a nearby park. The more you practise, the more confident and skilled you'll become. Even playing for an hour once or twice a week can help you improve quickly.

I also have an idea that I think would make learning much more fun. Why don't we learn badminton together? We could join the same beginner's class, practise after work on weekends, and encourage each other to keep improving. It would be a great opportunity for us to spend more time together while getting fit and learning something new. I am sure we would enjoy the experience, and it would be much easier to stay motivated if we had a friend to practise with.

Please let me know what you think. I hope you like my suggestion, and I really hope we can start learning badminton together soon.

Best wishes,

Ron

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 9.0

The response fully addresses all three bullet points of the task. You clearly recommend badminton, explain the learning process through community classes and online resources, and suggest learning together. The tone is appropriate for an email to a friend, maintaining a friendly and helpful persona throughout. The ideas are well-developed and extended, providing specific details such as mentioning the 'community sports centre' and 'online tutorial videos'. The response is well-structured and covers all requirements of the prompt effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 9.0

The email is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, moving smoothly from the recommendation to the learning method and finally the suggestion to join together. Cohesive devices such as 'Besides helping you', 'The more you practise', and 'I also have an idea' are used naturally to link sentences and paragraphs. The paragraphing is logical and contributes to the overall clarity of the message. The flow of information is seamless throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 8.5

You demonstrate a wide and natural range of vocabulary that is well-suited to the context of sports and hobbies. Phrases like 'fitness levels', 'proper techniques', 'returning the shuttlecock', and 'stay motivated' show a good command of collocation. The language is precise and varied, allowing you to express your ideas clearly without any noticeable errors. You successfully use a mix of common and slightly more specific vocabulary to convey your message effectively, which is appropriate for a high-level response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 9.0

The response displays a high level of grammatical control. You use a variety of complex sentence structures, such as conditional clauses ('If we had a friend to practise with') and relative clauses ('that would be suitable for your friend'), with high accuracy. Punctuation is used correctly to support the meaning, and there are no significant errors that impede communication. The majority of sentences are error-free, and the overall control of grammar is consistent and sophisticated throughout the email.

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

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