Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-11
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 5.0)
Dear Harsh,
I am writing to suggest a sport that you can start learning is volleyball. I am playing this game from several years i hope you going to enjoy this sport as well. You are so active and fast so that is why I am suggesting this game to you because I know you are going to learn this game in few months proplerly and I also know that you are going to like this game.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the development of the task. While you have addressed the three bullet points—recommending volleyball, suggesting how to learn it, and proposing to play together—the ideas are severely underdeveloped. For example, you mention learning the sport but do not provide any specific advice on how to actually start, such as joining a local club or watching tutorials. Because the response is less than half the required length, the task is only partially addressed, leading to a low score for task achievement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is written as a single, short paragraph. There is a lack of logical progression or paragraphing, which is expected even in a short email. Cohesive devices are almost entirely absent, making the flow of ideas feel disjointed. For instance, the transition between recommending the sport and explaining why you chose it is abrupt. To improve, you should use linking words such as 'furthermore', 'in addition', or 'consequently' to connect your sentences more naturally and ensure the ideas follow a logical sequence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive. You rely on simple phrases like 'playing this game' and 'like this game' multiple times. There is no attempt to use a wider range of vocabulary related to sports or advice. Additionally, there is a spelling error ('proplerly') which, while minor, contributes to the overall impression of limited lexical control. To achieve a higher band, you should aim to incorporate more specific terminology related to the sport and use a greater variety of adjectives and adverbs to express your ideas more precisely.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains several grammatical errors that affect clarity. For example, 'I am playing this game from several years' is incorrect; it should be 'I have been playing this game for several years' (present perfect continuous). There are also issues with sentence structure, such as run-on sentences and missing punctuation. The range of structures is very limited, consisting mostly of simple sentences. To improve, focus on using a mix of complex sentence structures and ensure your verb tenses are used correctly to reflect the timeline of your experiences.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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