Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-16

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 7.0)

Dear Alex,

I heard you're looking for suggestions on learning a new sport. I can shed some light on the type of sport suitable for an Englishman like you.

Firstly, I suggest you learn cricket; it is an English game that originated in England. For someone born and raised in London, Cricket is a sport that is very popular across all age groups. It creates a lively atmosphere in every home; many families do a get-together and watch a live match while eating delicious food. Nonetheless, it is a team game that will familiarize you with teamwork and coordination skills. This will be useful for you in other sports as well as in professional life.

Although the sport is played in every playground and gully in your town, I think you should take it to a competitive level by enrolling in a cricket coaching school and growing up playing in the leagues. I believe your previous experience of a baseball game will help you adapt to the sport and make it quicker for you to start participating in the tournaments.

I guess I'll have some free time in the evenings to spare and cannot think of a better way to spend it than joining you. If it works out for you, we can enroll in coaching lessons on the weekends. Let's gather at my house this weekend to watch a live Cricket match on TV and discuss further.

Best wishes,

Kushal.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

You address all three requirements clearly: cricket is recommended, coaching and league participation are suggested as ways to learn, and you invite Alex to join you for lessons. The advice is supported with relevant details, including Alex’s baseball experience and your plan to watch a match together. This gives the email a clear purpose and develops the main ideas. Some supporting points, such as cricket’s popularity among families and its benefits in professional life, are quite general and take space away from practical advice tailored to Alex. To strengthen the response further, explain more specifically what a beginner’s first lessons might involve or how to find a suitable local club, while keeping the friendly focus on your friend’s needs.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The email is organised in a clear progression: you introduce the request, recommend cricket, explain how Alex could learn, and finish with a joint invitation. Paragraphing supports this sequence, and linking expressions such as “Firstly,” “Although,” and “If it works out for you” help guide the reader. The final paragraph also gives a concrete next step. At times, however, the links between ideas feel slightly formulaic, and the discussion of cricket’s popularity and family viewing interrupts the practical advice. The reference to “the sport” is understandable, but some transitions could connect the advice more naturally. A tighter focus within each paragraph and more varied, conversational links would make the progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a reasonably varied vocabulary for a friendly email, including phrases such as “shed some light,” “lively atmosphere,” “teamwork and coordination,” and “competitive level.” These choices help explain both the appeal of cricket and its potential benefits. The meaning remains clear throughout, but some expressions are awkward or imprecise: “an Englishman like you” sounds overly broad, “growing up playing in the leagues” does not naturally describe joining a league, and “do a get-together” is not idiomatic. Capitalisation is also inconsistent in “Cricket” and “cricket.” This meets the task’s vocabulary needs and shows some range, but more natural collocations and more precise phrasing would demonstrate greater flexibility and control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including the contrast introduced by “Although” and the conditional “If it works out for you.” Many sentences are clear and grammatically controlled, and the reader can follow the advice without difficulty. A few errors or awkward constructions remain. In “many families do a get-together and watch,” the verb pattern is not well formed; “many families get together and watch” would be more accurate. “I guess I'll have some free time in the evenings to spare and cannot think” also makes the relationship between the two ideas slightly unclear. Review sentence structure and punctuation when joining related clauses, while continuing to use varied structures.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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