Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-21
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 Sarb,
Hope you doing well I am advising you to learn hockey sport as in this game there are 11 players in this game and it helps to boost your stamina and energy when you playing this game as my brother also learn this game from hockey sports club in Surrey, B.C also he provide me all the details if you need you are feel free to contact me.
Moreover, I also take keen interest in this game so we both start to learn this sport in this summer holidays as their is very huge sports club in which other sports also played like soccer and cricket volleyball and many more as its Canada 2nd popular sports club so I recommend you to take part in this club. Many international student every year take part in this game also this sport is national game of India so more popular game in India as well.
Thank you for taking advise from me.
Kind regards,
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
You have addressed all three bullet points of the task: recommending a sport, explaining how to learn it, and suggesting you learn it together. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation of how to learn the sport is quite brief and relies on a vague mention of a club rather than providing specific, actionable advice. The tone is generally appropriate for an email to a friend, but the focus shifts slightly toward the popularity of hockey in India and Canada, which is less relevant to the prompt's requirement to advise your friend. To improve, ensure each point is fully extended with clear, relevant details.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The email is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the flow of ideas is often hindered by run-on sentences and a lack of effective cohesive devices. For example, the first paragraph is essentially one long, rambling sentence that connects several disparate ideas without proper punctuation or transition words. While you use 'Moreover' to start the second paragraph, the internal connections between sentences are weak, making the progression feel somewhat mechanical. Improving your use of punctuation and linking words like 'consequently' or 'furthermore' would significantly enhance the logical flow of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, but it is quite basic and repetitive. You frequently use the word 'game' and 'sport' in close proximity, and there are some awkward collocations, such as 'take keen interest in this game' and 'as its Canada 2nd popular sports club'. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of variety and precision prevents a higher score. To improve, try to incorporate more descriptive adjectives and precise verbs related to sports and learning, and pay closer attention to standard English collocations.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede readability. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'he provide me'), missing articles (e.g., 'in this summer holidays'), and run-on sentences caused by a lack of full stops. You rely heavily on simple sentence structures, and attempts at more complex sentences often result in errors, such as 'as in this game there are 11 players in this game'. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence punctuation and ensuring that your subjects and verbs agree. Reducing the length of your sentences will help you maintain better control over your grammar.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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