Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-09
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 5.5)
Dear alen,
I hope this letter finds u well in good health and best of spirits.I just received your letter regarding you asked my advice on what sport is suitable for you.
As we know that all the sports makes us both physically and mentally strong.Sports works a stress buster activity.I also have alot of interest in playing games such as footaball,cricket , volleyball etcetera.But these days due to my busy study and work schedule I don't get enough time to play games.Hence, whenever i get sometime i just want to relax and sleep.This sedentary lifestyle is making me lazy and physically unfit and inactive.
As per my suggestion i just want to learn football.Firstly, if u will play and learn well football then there will a possibility of yours in selection in international footbaal team.Secondly,as i know you know football very well frok the school days.We used to participate in matches which were held on district level as well as on state level.So,we both have good knowledge of football and we also learn this together from one of the ABC football academy in our hometown.As i just finished my college and i will be free in few days.
Looking forward to get a replybfrom u .
Your's truly,
Mansi
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You address the main points by recommending football, referring to your friend’s previous experience, and proposing that you learn at an academy together. The reference to your shared school matches gives the suggestion some personal relevance. However, the recommendation is not consistently clear: “As per my suggestion i just want to learn football” sounds like your own preference rather than direct advice to your friend. The explanation of how to learn is also brief; naming an academy is useful, but you could explain how to enrol or practise. The claim about possible selection for an international team is not well supported and distracts from practical advice. Make the recommendation and shared plan more direct and develop the learning steps.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The email has a recognisable opening, body paragraphs and closing, and the ideas about sport, your circumstances and football are grouped into sections. You also use basic linking expressions such as “Firstly,” “Secondly” and “So.” However, progression is uneven: the long paragraph about your interest in sports and busy schedule does not clearly lead into advice for your friend, and the final paragraph combines the recommendation, past experience, academy plan and your availability in a crowded sequence. Some links are mechanical, while references such as “this” in “learn this together” could be clearer. Organise the body around the three requested points and use shorter sentences to show how each idea connects.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “physically unfit,” “participate in matches” and “football academy,” and the reader can generally understand your intended meaning. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are noticeably inaccurate, such as “Sports works a stress buster activity” and “selection in international footbaal team.” Spelling and informal forms also reduce control: “footaball,” “frok,” “u” and “alot” appear in the email. Choose natural expressions and maintain a friendly but appropriately written tone. For example, explain that sport can “relieve stress,” and refer to “joining a local football academy” rather than using an unclear phrase about selection.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, including a conditional idea beginning “if u will play and learn well football.” However, complex structures are often faulty, and frequent errors in agreement, articles, verb forms and sentence construction sometimes make the reader work to understand the message. Examples include “all the sports makes us,” “there will a possibility,” and “I just received your letter regarding you asked my advice.” Punctuation and spacing are also inconsistent, with several sentences running together. Practise building accurate sentences with one main idea at a time; for instance, write “If you practise regularly, you could improve quickly” and “You asked me which sport I would recommend.”
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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