Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-14

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 6.0)

Dear friend,

I hope you're doing well. I was really nice catching up with you last week over dinner, where you brought up the idea of learning a new sport and you seek for my advice.

I gave it a thought and shortlisted the following sports that you could learn:

1) Tennis

2) Badminton

3) Cricket

Since, it's very rare in our town and find a coach or academy that teaches these two is very difficult, therefore, I recommend to start learning cricket.

Cricket is a very popular sport in our contry and similarly, worldwide. We can find a reknown academy closer to your place. Since you're new to this sport, I'd recommend the following plan:

a) Watch YouTube videos on the basics of cricket to learn the rules and know more about the sport.

b) Get registered with the best academey within your town.

c) Engage with the people who plays this sport very often.

d) Start watching the international matches on a regular basis. I would recommend watching the T20 Internationals, considering it's the shortest version and fast paced.

e) Practicing daily in nets or at home as it requires no equipment or hefty purchases.

What we can do to, since I was also looking to start some physical activities, let's learn this sport together. We will boost each other when we feel down and motivate ourselves.

Let me know if you agree with my advice and plan.

We will start the plan together.

Looking forward to your response.

Thanks,

Your friend.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three requirements clearly: you recommend cricket, explain ways to learn it, and invite your friend to join you. The recommendation is supported by the point that cricket is popular locally and that an academy is available nearby. Your practical suggestions, such as watching beginner videos and joining an academy, make the advice useful, while the shared-learning proposal gives the email a clear personal purpose. The response is relevant throughout and maintains a clear position. To develop the ideas further, explain more specifically why cricket suits this particular friend, and clarify the comparison with tennis and badminton; the sentence about their rarity is difficult to follow. Some plan items, such as watching matches, could also be linked more directly to learning skills.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The email has a recognisable sequence: greeting and context, a recommendation, a learning plan, an invitation, and a closing. The letter format and paragraph breaks help the reader follow its purpose. However, progression is weakened by the numbered shortlist and lettered plan, which make the message feel like notes rather than a naturally flowing email. Some links are awkward or unclear, especially “Since, it's very rare in our town … therefore” and “What we can do to”. The final two sentences repeat the idea of starting together. Group the advice into a few connected paragraphs, use transitions that show cause and result accurately, and avoid repeating the invitation to create smoother cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a range of task-relevant vocabulary, including “shortlisted”, “academy”, “international matches”, and “motivate”, so the reader can understand the advice and the friendly tone is generally appropriate. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “seek for my advice”, “gave it a thought”, and “hefty purchases”. Spelling errors in “contry”, “reknown”, and “academey” also reduce accuracy. Some expressions, including “the best academy” and “people who plays this sport”, are imprecise or awkward. Aim for natural phrases and check spelling carefully; more accurate collocations would make your vocabulary more effective without needing unnecessarily formal language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, for example the opening sentence with a relative clause and the explanation of why cricket is recommended. The main message remains understandable, but errors recur in sentence construction, agreement, articles, and punctuation. Examples include “Since, it's very rare … therefore” (an incomplete or poorly joined construction), “people who plays” (subject–verb agreement), and “What we can do to” (an incorrect question structure). The list item “Practicing daily in nets or at home as it requires…” is also a fragment. Practise building complete sentences with one clear main clause, then check agreement and punctuation; this will make your varied structures more controlled.

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.