Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-12
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 Ann,
How are you enjoying your new space? sorry for replying to you late i have been so busy with work.
Withregards to the sport you wish to learn, there are various sports centers in my area such as Table tennis, handball and boxing. However, i think you learning Table tennis will be a best option since i alreadyhave the equipments and its less stressful.
It's so easy to learn and its divided into different sections depending in your strength. we have section A for beginers, section B for people who have an idea about it so you can chose on where to belong. there is a coach on each dection to help guide you. Also, the sport is done with tiny balls rolled on the table and ypu are given assignments at the end o
I have been thinking of enrolling there too so it will be a great idea to register together. The distance its a few walk from my apartment so we don't need to worry about transport.
Waiting foe your reply.
Best wishes,
Comfort.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
You address all three points: you recommend table tennis, explain that beginners can join a section with a coach, and invite Ann to enrol with you. The recommendation is supported with relevant reasons, including that you already have the equipment and the venue is close to your apartment. This gives the email a clear purpose and personal tone. Some details are less fully developed: the explanation of how lessons work is vague, and the sentence about balls and assignments ends unfinished, so the reader does not learn what practice involves. To strengthen the response further, complete that explanation and give a little more practical detail, such as when lessons take place or what Ann should bring.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The email has a generally clear sequence: you open with a personal greeting, introduce the sport, explain how a beginner might learn it, and finish by suggesting that you join together. Paragraphing helps separate these stages, and linking expressions such as “However” and “Also” show how ideas relate. At times, though, the progression is interrupted by unclear or incomplete connections. The explanation of the coaching sections moves abruptly into the description of the sport, and “Also” leads into a sentence that stops at “end o”. Some references, such as “there” and “it”, could be clearer. Complete each idea and use more precise links between the recommendation, lessons, and invitation.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main message, including “sport centres”, “coach”, “beginner” and “register together”. The friendly expressions “How are you enjoying…” and “Best wishes” also suit an informal email. However, the range is limited, and several spelling and word-choice errors make parts less clear, including “dection”, “chose” and “equipments”. Some phrases are also unnatural, such as “a few walk” and “less stressful”. Aim to use accurate, natural collocations and check spelling carefully. More precise terms for lessons and practice would also help explain how Ann can get started, rather than relying on general references to sections and assignments.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt both simple and longer sentence forms, for example, “However, I think you learning Table tennis will be a best option since…” This shows an effort to connect reasons and recommendations, but some sentence structures are not controlled accurately. Examples include “I think you learning” instead of a correctly formed clause, “depending in your strength”, and “The distance its a few walk”. There are also inconsistent capital letters and punctuation, and the sentence about assignments is unfinished. These errors sometimes make the reader pause to interpret the meaning. Practise forming clauses after verbs such as “think”, checking articles and prepositions, and proofreading sentence endings. Clearer, accurate sentences will make your advice easier to follow.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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