Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-29
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 7.5)
Dear Alex,
It was great to hear from you. I think you should try learning **badminton**, as it is an enjoyable sport and does not require you to be extremely fit when you first start. It is also a great way to stay active and meet new people.
You could learn badminton by joining a local sports club and taking lessons from a coach. They can teach you the basic techniques, such as serving, hitting the shuttlecock and moving around the court. You could also practise regularly with a friend to improve your skills.
Why don't we learn badminton together? We could join a beginner's class at the local sports centre and practise twice a week. I think it would be much more fun if we learned it together, and we could encourage each other when we find it difficult.
Let me know what you think. I'm looking forward to trying it with you!
Best wishes,
Harshul
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.5 |
| Overall | 7.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5
The response fully satisfies all requirements of the General Training Task 1 prompt. You have successfully covered all three bullet points in a natural and engaging manner. First, you recommended badminton as a suitable sport and gave reasons for your choice, such as 'it is an enjoyable sport and does not require you to be extremely fit'. Second, you explained how your friend could learn this sport by 'joining a local sports club and taking lessons from a coach' and practising regularly. Third, you clearly suggested learning together by asking, 'Why don't we learn badminton together?' and proposing to 'join a beginner's class at the local sports centre'. The tone is appropriately friendly and informal throughout, and the ideas are fully developed and relevant. Therefore, this performance easily merits a high band score.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5
Your email is logically organised and flows smoothly from start to finish. You have used appropriate paragraphing, with each paragraph addressing a distinct aspect of the prompt: the opening and recommendation, learning methods, and the joint proposal. Cohesive devices such as 'It is also', 'You could also', and 'I think it would be much more fun' are used effectively to link ideas together without being overly mechanical. Referencing is clear throughout, particularly with pronouns like 'it', 'they', and 'we', which refer accurately to previously mentioned nouns like badminton, coaches, and friends. The progression of ideas is completely clear, making the email very easy and pleasant to read.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.5
You have demonstrated a sufficient and appropriate range of vocabulary for a general correspondence task. Words and phrases like 'enjoyable sport', 'stay active', 'basic techniques', and 'encourage each other' are used naturally and accurately. There are also attempts at less common and topic-specific vocabulary such as 'shuttlecock', 'court', and 'beginner's class'. Word choice and collocations are generally very good with no noticeable errors. While the vocabulary is not overly sophisticated or academic—which is not strictly necessary for an informal email—it is precise, flexible enough to cover all requirements, and perfectly suited to the communicative purpose.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.5
The writing exhibits a good variety of sentence structures, including both simple and complex forms. You have successfully incorporated subordinate clauses and conditional ideas, such as 'when you first start' and 'when we find it difficult'. The majority of your sentences are completely error-free, and your control of verb tenses, modal verbs ('could', 'should', 'would'), and punctuation is strong. There are no noticeable grammatical mistakes or slips that cause any ambiguity or impede communication. Your control over grammar matches the requirements for a high band score in this criterion.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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