Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-16

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 6.5)

Dear John,

I hope you're in perfect health. It's been a long time since we last communicated. I found out that you want to get some advice on trying new sports. I would certainly recommend trying out pickleball.

Let me explain in more detail. I came across this activity a few months ago, and after experiencing I can't stop playing it again and again. I have chosen this for you as you are a pro in tennis. This sport is similar, as all the players are playing on the same side and try to bounce the ball off the wall. I personally would teach you, as I am looking for a new partner.

Lastly, don't assume me as an expert. I am a beginner like yours just can't get over this activity. Additionally, we should get trained by an expert together, as I need someone beside me when I accomplish something and to enjoy a new experience together. I hope to see you soon to try this out.

Warm wishes,

Yash.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You recommended pickleball, explained how to learn it, and suggested learning it together. The tone is appropriate for an email to a friend. However, the explanation of the sport is slightly inaccurate, as pickleball is not typically played by bouncing a ball off a wall (that is squash or racquetball). While this does not impede communication, it shows a slight lack of clarity in describing the activity. The ideas are relevant and the purpose of the letter is clear throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The email is logically organized with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the different points of the task. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Lastly' and 'Additionally' to link your ideas. However, the transition between the description of the sport and the suggestion to learn together could be smoother. The progression of ideas is generally easy to follow, and the referencing is clear throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task. Phrases like 'perfect health' and 'came across this activity' are natural. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'don't assume me as an expert' (should be 'don't consider me an expert') and 'beginner like yours' (should be 'beginner like you'). While you use some good collocations, the range is somewhat limited, and there are occasional errors in word choice that slightly affect the precision of your expression.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'after experiencing I can't stop playing it' (missing object: 'experiencing it') and 'I am a beginner like yours' (incorrect pronoun usage). Punctuation is generally accurate, and these errors do not impede the reader's understanding of your message. To reach a higher band, you should aim for more error-free complex sentences and ensure consistent control over pronoun and preposition usage.

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

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