Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-05

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 Thomas,

I hope you're keeping well.

I'm writing to recommend a new sport that would meet your ambitions.

I'm proud to say that you have come a long way in gymnastics and have proven to be no less competent than other gymnasts. Given your body build, I see you as a future Judo star.

With that in mind, I suggest contacting the local Judo centre for more information. I have already contacted them for you. However, they need your feedback after everything I said to them about you. You could start next week. You only need some rehearsals before starting.

I am going to train with you. I love this sport and find it very appealing. I'm sure we'll have a great time together, as I will be learning from you. Your achievements inspired me, and I'm really looking forward to having this new venture together.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend, and feel free to give me a call whenever possible.

Cheers,

Sam

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You recommend Judo, explain how to join the local centre, and propose learning it together. The tone is appropriate for an email to a friend, maintaining a friendly and informal register throughout. The ideas are relevant and clearly presented, though the explanation of how to learn the sport could be slightly more detailed to fully develop the response. For instance, mentioning specific classes or training schedules would add depth. However, all requirements are met, and the purpose of the email is clear from the beginning.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The email is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the task, which helps the reader follow the narrative easily. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'With that in mind' and 'However', to link your sentences. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions could be more varied to enhance the natural feel of the writing. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the introduction, the body points, and the closing, which is appropriate for this task type.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'ambitions', 'competent', and 'appealing' effectively. The word choice is generally accurate and fits the context of a friendly recommendation. There are no significant spelling errors, and the language used is natural enough to convey your message clearly. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate more precise collocations or idiomatic expressions related to sports and hobbies, which would make your writing sound more sophisticated and engaging for the reader.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

Your grammar is generally accurate, and you use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. For example, 'I'm sure we'll have a great time together, as I will be learning from you' is a well-constructed complex sentence. There are occasional minor issues, such as the phrasing 'You only need some rehearsals before starting', which sounds slightly unnatural in this context. However, these errors do not impede communication. Your control over punctuation and sentence structure is sufficient to maintain a clear and professional tone throughout the email.

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

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