Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-19
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 5.5)
Dear Smith,
Hope you're hale and hearty!
I am writing this letter, in order to inform you that you had recently ask me that which sport you can learn as I thinks a lot and decides that you should play cricket as it is suitable for you. Moreover, you have also great experience in it and in our school times we often always play cricket.
Let me shed some lights on this Firstly, you should meet me and I will recommend you a professional coach and good thing is that he is my father's friend due to this he can trained you as a player and your fees can also be reduced.
Additionally, I have also generated this wish in my mind. Besides this, we together played cricket and become good players and my family members are forcing me to indulge in any co-curricular activity. Furthermore, by watching your interest I am also inspires and I decide to play cricket
Looking forward to your prompt response!
Best Regards,
Michael.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses all three bullet points: recommending a sport (cricket), explaining how to learn it (hiring a coach), and suggesting learning it together. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. The explanation regarding the coach is clear, but the suggestion to learn together feels slightly disjointed from the rest of the letter. The tone is generally appropriate for an informal email to a friend, although the structure is a bit repetitive in its phrasing. To improve, ensure that the connection between the recommendation and the joint activity is more naturally integrated into the narrative flow.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The letter is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of ideas. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'Let me shed some lights on this' and 'Besides this'. The transition between the recommendation and the logistical details about the coach is a bit abrupt. While the overall arrangement is coherent, the referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly in the final paragraph where the motivation for playing is stated in a way that feels slightly disconnected from the previous points. More varied and natural linking words would improve the flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, though it lacks variety and precision. There are some instances of unnatural collocations, such as 'generated this wish in my mind' and 'forcing me to indulge'. While the meaning is generally clear, the range of vocabulary is limited, and there are some errors in word choice that detract from the overall quality. To reach a higher band, focus on using more natural idiomatic expressions and precise verbs rather than relying on basic or slightly misused phrases. The attempt to use more formal language in an informal context also creates a slight stylistic mismatch.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writing contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('as I thinks', 'he can trained'), tense inconsistencies ('you had recently ask me'), and awkward phrasing ('you have also great experience'). While the meaning is usually understandable, these persistent errors in basic grammar and verb forms prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on consistent verb tenses and ensuring subject-verb agreement would significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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