Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Dear friend,

I hope you are fine, thank you for asking me, I would like to suggest swimming as we both do not know how to swim.

Firstly, swimming plays a very significant role in our lives, because it have numerous benefits that can help us to stay healthy and it also very easy to learn and this is a perfect sport for us

you can join swimming class, there are professional coach at coaching center they teach best ways possible and you can also learn this from online platforms like youtube

we both can join togather as i am interested in swimming and learn new activities that help me connect with you and we both can participate in competitions

thank you

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses all three bullet points: recommending swimming, explaining how to learn it, and suggesting learning together. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which limits the development of ideas. The points are mentioned but lack sufficient detail or elaboration to fully satisfy the task requirements. For instance, the explanation of how to learn is quite brief. To improve, you should expand on your ideas by providing more context or specific examples, such as mentioning a local pool or a specific time you could meet, to ensure the response is well-developed and meets the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into short paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is very limited and somewhat mechanical. For example, the transition 'Firstly' is used, but there is no follow-up with 'Secondly' or other logical connectors to link the remaining points. The flow between sentences is occasionally disjointed, and the lack of punctuation (such as full stops) makes the text feel like a series of run-on thoughts. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring proper sentence boundaries would significantly enhance the clarity and flow of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, which is sufficient for the task but lacks the range needed for a higher score. Phrases like 'plays a very significant role' and 'best ways possible' are functional but generic. There are also some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'join swimming class' (should be 'join a swimming class') and 'togather' (spelling error). To improve, try to incorporate more varied and precise vocabulary related to sports and learning, and pay closer attention to spelling and article usage.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response relies heavily on simple sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('it have numerous benefits', 'there are professional coach') and missing articles ('join swimming class'). Punctuation is also a major issue, as the text lacks proper sentence endings, leading to run-on sentences. To reach a higher band, you need to demonstrate a better grasp of complex sentence structures and ensure that basic grammar, such as pluralization and verb agreement, is consistent. Proofreading your work for full stops and capital letters is a necessary first step.

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

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