Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-17

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 7.0)

Dear Sam,

I just wanted to write to you about learning a new sport. The main reason for writing is to give you some advice about choosing and learning a suitable sport, and I wanted to tell you a little more about it.

To begin with, I believe that badminton would be a suitable sport for you because it is enjoyable, easy to learn and excellent for improving fitness. I believe this information is particularly relevant and helps to explain the matter more clearly.

Furthermore, I would like to mention that you could learn badminton by joining a local sports club and taking lessons from an experienced coach. This is an important point to consider, and I hope it will be taken into account.

Finally, I would be happy to learn badminton with you so that we can practise regularly and motivate each other. I hope this information will be useful and lead to a satisfactory outcome.

Thanks again for taking the time to read my letter. I hope you find this information helpful, and it would be great to hear from you soon.

Best wishes,

Jay

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response successfully covers all parts of the prompt in a semi-formal email style. You clearly recommended badminton, explained how your friend could learn it by joining a local sports club and taking lessons, and suggested learning it together so you can practice regularly. However, the tone occasionally feels overly formal or repetitive for a letter to a friend, featuring phrases like 'The main reason for writing is to give you some advice' and 'I believe this information is particularly relevant.' While all bullet points are addressed fully and the purpose is clear, this slight stiffness in tone prevents the response from reaching the highest bands. Overall, the communication is effective and directly answers the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organised with a clear beginning, middle, and end, using paragraphing appropriately to separate different ideas. You make good use of cohesive devices to structure your points, such as 'To begin with,' 'Furthermore,' and 'Finally.' However, some of these transitional phrases feel a bit formulaic and overly academic for a personal letter to a friend. Referencing and progression are generally clear, though paragraph transitions could be smoother and more natural. Overall, the text is easy to follow and demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate and generally appropriate for the task, with terms like 'badminton', 'experienced coach', 'motivate each other', and 'satisfactory outcome'. However, the range of vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive, with frequent use of standard phrases like 'suitable sport', 'important point', and 'useful information'. There are no major spelling or word-choice errors, but there is a lack of less common lexical items or idiomatic language that would be expected for a higher band. The vocabulary is functional and completely appropriate for clear communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good control of grammar, utilizing a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Examples such as 'I believe that badminton would be a suitable sport for you because it is enjoyable, easy to learn and excellent for improving fitness' showcase your ability to construct compound-complex sentences with correct punctuation and conjunctions. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and your control over verb tenses and modal verbs (such as 'could learn' and 'would be happy') is solid. The few minor awkward phrasing issues do not impede communication at all, allowing for a smooth reading experience.

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

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