Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-05
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 6.5)
Dear Nova,
How are you doing? I received your letter and I'll love to recommend you a new sport to learn, which is badminton. I personally like playing it too! It is a fun game and since you love playing team games, you should surely give it a try.
You can learn it from the centre which is on the groundfloor of my building and it is not a longer commute for you as well. Additionally, through this we can also catch-up everyday and it will help you to kill your time and unwind yourself!
Even I was thinking of learning it ; so if you are interested in this sport than we both can have each other's company. Moreover, we can even practice it after class. Let me know what you decide; I'm getting excited even thinking about it. Looking forward for your letter.
Lot's of love,
xy z
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0
The response successfully addresses all parts of the task. You clearly recommend badminton as a suitable sport in the opening paragraph, explaining that it suits your friend because she loves team games. You then explain how she can learn the sport by mentioning the centre on the ground floor of your building, and you smoothly suggest that you both learn together so you can have each other's company and practice after class. All three bullet points are fully covered. While the ideas are relevant and well-communicated, some points, such as the logistics of learning at the centre, could be extended further with more specific details to reach the highest standard of development.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0
The letter demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. You establish a friendly and natural tone from the opening greeting 'Dear Nova,' right through to the closing sign-off. Cohesive devices are used quite flexibly, such as transition words like 'Additionally', 'Even I', and 'Moreover', which help connect your ideas smoothly. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct thoughts: the introduction and recommendation in the first paragraph, the learning location and personal benefits in the second, and the joint learning proposal in the final paragraph. There is a slight mechanical feel to one or two transitions, but overall, the structure provides a coherent and easy-to-follow narrative for the reader.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using functional phrases like 'give it a try', 'longer commute', and 'unwind yourself'. You attempt some less common vocabulary items, though there are a few minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For instance, writing 'I'll love to' instead of 'I'd love to' is a slight slip, and phrases like 'kill your time' are somewhat informal for a neutral-to-formal standard, though acceptable in an informal email. Spelling is generally accurate throughout the text, and while the vocabulary range allows you to convey your message clearly, incorporating more precise or sophisticated lexical items would elevate your writing further.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
The response features a workable mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over your intended meaning. You successfully incorporate dependent clauses, such as 'since you love playing team games, you should surely give it a try'. However, there are some minor errors in grammar and punctuation. For example, 'groundfloor' should be written as two words ('ground floor'), and there is a slight error in punctuation and conjunction use in the sentence 'Even I was thinking of learning it ; so if you are interested in this sport than we both can...'. Specifically, the semicolon is misplaced, 'than' should be 'then', and the phrasing could be tightened. These errors do not impede communication, but eliminating them and increasing the variety of complex structures would strengthen your 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.