Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-13

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 8.0)

Dear Sam,

I think badminton would be a great new sport for you to learn. It is enjoyable, energetic and suitable for beginners. It can also help you improve your fitness, balance, coordination and concentration. Most importantly, you do not need to be extremely fit to start playing.

You could learn badminton by joining a beginner’s class at a local sports centre. A qualified coach could teach you the basic rules, how to hold the racket, how to serve and how to hit the shuttlecock properly. You could also watch online videos to practise different techniques at home. Regular practice would help you improve quickly.

Why don’t we learn badminton together? We could sign up for a beginner’s course at the weekend and practise together afterwards. It would be more enjoyable to learn with a friend, and we could encourage each other when we find something difficult.

I hope you like my idea!

Best wishes,

Keith

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 9.0

The response fully addresses all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly recommend badminton, explain how to learn it through classes and online resources, and propose learning it together. The tone is appropriate for an email to a friend, maintaining a consistent and friendly register throughout. The ideas are well-developed and relevant, providing a logical flow that directly answers the requirements of the task. There are no omissions, and the purpose of the letter is clear from the beginning.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The email is well-structured with clear paragraphing. Each paragraph focuses on one of the required points, which helps the reader follow your ideas easily. You use cohesive devices such as 'Most importantly', 'also', and 'because' effectively to link sentences and ideas. The progression of information is logical, moving from the recommendation to the learning process and finally to the suggestion of a joint activity. The use of referencing is clear, and the overall flow is natural and easy to read.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for the context of sports and learning. Phrases like 'qualified coach', 'basic rules', and 'encourage each other' are used accurately. While the vocabulary is functional and fits the task well, it is generally standard. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate more precise or idiomatic expressions related to sports or friendship. However, the current range is sufficient to convey your message with precision and without any noticeable errors in word choice or collocation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The grammar is highly accurate throughout the response. You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively, such as 'It would be more enjoyable to learn with a friend, and we could encourage each other when we find something difficult.' Punctuation is used correctly, and there are no significant grammatical errors that impede communication. The control over verb tenses and modal verbs (e.g., 'could', 'would') is consistent and appropriate for making suggestions and giving advice.

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

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