Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-23
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 Owais,
I hope you are doing well, I think badminton would be a great sport for you to learn because. It is fun, easy to start, and a good way to stay fit and active. It is also something that you can enjoy with your friends.
You can start by joining a beginner's class and learning the basic skills from a coach. You can also watch some videos online to understand the rules and practice your serving and other things. With regular practice I am sure you will learn quickly. You will only need a racket, comfortable sportswear and a pair of shoes
In fact, why don’t we learn badminton together? There is a sports centre near us where we could practise on weekends. I think it would be more fun if we learned the sport together and encouraged each other. We could also play a friendly match after a week.
Let me know what you think!
Best wishes
Ansari Shenaz Banu
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.5 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
The response fully addresses all three bullet points required in the task instructions. You successfully recommend a specific sport ('badminton'), explain how your friend could learn it ('by joining a beginner's class... watch some videos online'), and suggest learning it together ('why don’t we learn badminton together?'). The tone is appropriately friendly and conversational for a General Training email. However, there is a minor punctuation error in the opening paragraph where a full stop is misplaced ('because. It is'), which slightly disrupts the flow of the first idea. Overall, all requirements are well covered and clearly developed, aligning comfortably with the Band 7 level descriptors.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The email is logically organised into clear paragraphs, each serving a distinct purpose: greeting and recommendation, learning methods and equipment, joint proposition, and sign-off. Cohesive devices such as 'In fact' and 'We could also' are used appropriately to link ideas and guide the reader smoothly through the text. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and effectively. While referencing is generally clear, the organisation is straightforward rather than complex, which places this firmly at Band 7.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
The vocabulary used is adequate and natural for the task, incorporating appropriate sport-related terms such as 'beginner's class', 'serving', 'racket', and 'comfortable sportswear'. There is an attempt to use less common expressions like 'stay fit and active' and 'encouraged each other'. While the range is somewhat limited and relies on everyday words rather than sophisticated lexical items, the word choice is accurate and communication is never impeded. Spelling and word formation are entirely correct.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5
You demonstrate a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'I think badminton would be a great sport for you to learn because it is fun...' and 'There is a sports centre near us where we could practise on weekends.' Control of grammar is generally strong with frequent error-free sentences. The main issue is a punctuation error in the first paragraph ('...to learn because. It is...'), which breaks a complex sentence incorrectly. Despite this minor slip, grammar and punctuation do not impede communication, showing solid control.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.