Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-12

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 7.5)

Dear Khang,

I hope you're doing great! I am glad you asked for a suggestion about learning a new sport.

Personally, I believe a sport that requires brain exercises would suit your personality as you are extremely intelligent and think critically in any difficult situation. The sport that comes to my mind is "chess" as you. This sport needs planning strategies along with other skills like attention, patience and good sportsmanship which you can achieve quite easily.

You can join learning sessions from one of the sports club members named "Smith" as he is a professional chess player and gives masterclasses and some free workshops every Sunday in the recreational center. Additionally, social media sites and online game websites will help with improvement and some are free to use.

Moreover, I am keen to learn this sport along with you as I have always admired this game since I was a child. This will allow us to brainstorm different ideas and give healthy challenges in learning.

I hope you consider my advice and let me know if you need further discussion on it.

See you soon!

Yours lovingly,

NAVI

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You recommended chess, explained how to learn it through local workshops and online resources, and proposed learning it together. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, and the purpose is clear throughout. The ideas are relevant and well-developed, providing a coherent response to the task requirements. You maintained a friendly and encouraging tone, which is essential for this type of correspondence. To reach a higher band, ensure that all sentences are grammatically complete, as the phrase 'as you' in the second paragraph is incomplete and slightly confusing.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The email is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each requirement, and a closing. You have used cohesive devices such as 'Additionally', 'Moreover', and 'This will allow' to connect your ideas effectively. The paragraphing is appropriate, with each paragraph focusing on a specific aspect of the task. The progression of ideas is smooth, making the letter easy to follow. To improve, ensure that referencing is always clear; for example, the connection between your friend's personality and the choice of chess is clear, but the sentence structure could be tightened to improve the flow between these points.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your ideas clearly. Phrases like 'brain exercises', 'think critically', 'professional chess player', and 'brainstorm different ideas' are well-chosen and appropriate for the context. There is some evidence of less common lexical items, and your word choice is generally precise. While there are no major errors that impede communication, you could enhance your writing by using more varied collocations or idiomatic expressions to sound more natural. Overall, your vocabulary is adequate and supports the message well.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good control of grammar, using a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most of your sentences are error-free, and your punctuation is generally accurate. However, there are minor slips, such as the incomplete clause 'as you' in the second paragraph and the slightly awkward phrasing 'give healthy challenges in learning'. These do not impede communication, but they prevent the response from reaching the highest band. Focusing on ensuring that every sentence has a clear subject and verb will help improve your accuracy further.

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

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