Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · IELTS Predictions Nov 2026 · 2026-11-11

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You travelled from Bristol to Edinburgh on a Northstar Airways flight. It was delayed for several hours, and airport staff gave passengers very little information.

Write a letter to the manager of Northstar Airways. In your letter

• explain what happened during the delay and what information you were given
• describe how the delay affected your plans
• say what you would like the airline to do in response

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 7.0)

Dear Sir,

I am writing to express the inconvenience I experienced due to the 5-hour flight delay. It was a horrible experience because the airport staff shared very little information about the delay.

I was travelling from my hometown, which is called Bristol, to another city, Edinburgh, last month for our annual meeting. When I reached the airport, the flight was delayed due to some emergency. Although we were informed it was a 1-hour delay, it turned out to be a 5-hour delay. The staff were not helpful at all because they refused to answer whatever we asked.

Because of this delay, I was not able to attend the meeting, and I had to pay the penalties, which are basically a kind of punishment set up by management if someone fails to attend any important event. Therefore, I had to face embarrassment in front of colleagues.

Although there was no mistake on my side, I had to face the severe consequences. Hence, I would like to have a fifty per cent refund or free airport lounge access each time I visit the airport for the next 3 months.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Jack

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The letter addresses all three requirements: it explains that the delay grew from one hour to five and that staff would not answer questions, describes the missed annual meeting and resulting embarrassment, and requests either a partial refund or lounge access. The purpose and complaint remain clear throughout, and the consequences give the reader a concrete sense of the impact. To make the response more fully developed, specify what information staff actually provided about the emergency or later updates; “due to some emergency” is vague. The requested remedies could also be framed more precisely—for example, explain why a 50% refund is appropriate or state how lounge access would compensate for this particular disruption. Overall, the relevant ideas are clear and supported, though a few are general or not fully explained.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter has a clear progression: the opening states the complaint, the next paragraph recounts the delay, and the following paragraphs explain its consequences and request a remedy. Paragraphing is appropriate, and links such as “Because of this delay,” “Therefore,” and “Hence” make the relationships between events easy to follow. The closing is also suitable for a formal complaint. Some transitions are a little mechanical, particularly the repeated cause-and-effect links, and “Although there was no mistake on my side” largely repeats the point already made about the consequences. You could improve flow by varying the links and combining closely related points, while keeping the sequence of events and requested action explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for explaining a complaint and its impact, with useful expressions such as “flight delay,” “annual meeting,” “penalties,” and “severe consequences.” The reader can understand the situation without difficulty. However, some choices are imprecise or overly conversational for a formal letter: “horrible experience,” “some emergency,” and “whatever we asked” do not convey the details as precisely as they could. The explanation of penalties as “a kind of punishment” is also wordy and does not add much. Aim for more specific, natural collocations that describe the airline’s communication and the financial or professional impact. This would make the complaint sound more controlled and precise without changing its clear meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including effective clauses beginning “Although” and “Because,” and most sentences are clear and grammatically controlled. Past-tense narration is generally consistent, and punctuation helps separate the main points. A few constructions could be more accurate or natural. In “I was travelling … last month for our annual meeting,” the shift from “I” to “our” is not clearly explained; clarify whose meeting it was. “I would like to have a fifty per cent refund” is understandable, but “I would like to receive” would form the request more naturally. The long explanation of penalties also makes one sentence cumbersome. Continue using varied clauses, while checking pronoun reference and keeping sentence structures concise.

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

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