Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-17

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 8.0)

Dear John,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing to recommend that you learn badminton because it is enjoyable and suitable for beginners. Moreover, it strengthens physical health and teaches us discipline, coordination, and communication skills.

To learn this sport, I would recommend that you join a badminton club near your society. The professional trainers will train you in the proper techniques for hitting the shuttle, holding the racket, and aiming the shot. Additionally, you can watch tutorial videos on YouTube or online to learn the basic rules and practice at home.

Furthermore, I am also curious to learn badminton. I have an idea, why don't we join the same badminton club? We can learn in the evening after coming from work. This would not only help us develop skills but also offer us enough quality time to spend together. This might encourage us to take part in local competitions once we become confident.

Let me know your opinion regarding this proposal. I am looking forward to hearing from you

Best regards,

Mamta

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.5

You address all three requested points clearly: badminton is recommended, you explain learning through a local club, professional coaching and online tutorials, and you invite John to join you. The reasons for choosing the sport—its suitability for beginners and benefits such as coordination—are relevant, while the suggestion to practise after work and perhaps enter local competitions adds useful detail. The purpose and friendly relationship are clear throughout, and the email has an appropriate opening and sign-off. To make the response even more fully developed, you could personalise the recommendation by linking badminton to John's interests or circumstances, rather than relying mainly on general benefits. Overall, the task is covered well, with only a small opportunity for more tailored support.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 8.0

The email is organised in a clear sequence: you introduce the recommendation, explain how John could learn, then propose learning together and invite a reply. Paragraphing supports these distinct stages, and linking expressions such as “Moreover,” “Additionally,” and “Furthermore” help connect related points. The progression from joining a club to practising together and possibly entering competitions is easy to follow. Some transitions are a little conspicuous because several paragraphs begin with formal linking adverbs; a more natural mix of direct connections and pronouns would make cohesion less noticeable. Also, the final request and sign-off could be separated more clearly with a full stop after “hearing from you.”

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

You use a good range of task-appropriate vocabulary, including “professional trainers,” “proper techniques,” “coordination,” “local competitions,” and “quality time.” These choices communicate the advice clearly and show some flexibility beyond basic vocabulary. A few expressions are less natural or precise: “near your society” is unclear in this context, and “strengthens physical health” is an awkward collocation. “Aiming the shot” is understandable but could be expressed more idiomatically as “placing your shots.” The repeated use of “learn” and “join” also leaves room for greater variety. More natural collocations and a few precise sport-specific terms would strengthen the fluency and flexibility of your vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.5

You demonstrate a useful range of sentence forms, including the recommendation clause “I would recommend that you join,” the conditional “once we become confident,” and the paired structure “This would not only help us … but also offer us…”. Most sentences are clear and well controlled. There are a few minor issues in sentence construction and punctuation: “I have an idea, why don't we join…” joins two independent thoughts with a comma, so use a colon or full stop before the question. The final sentence, “I am looking forward to hearing from you,” also needs a full stop before the sign-off. These do not obscure meaning, but careful editing of punctuation and sentence boundaries would improve accuracy further.

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