Band 9.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 9.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-15

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You have decided to look for a new job.

Write a letter to a friend. In your letter
• explain why you are looking for a new job.
• describe the kind of job you would like to have.
• ask your friend to help you find a job

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear _________,

Student answer (Band 9.0)

Dear Mark,

I hope everything is going well with you. I am writing to let you know that I have finally decided to start looking for a new job.

While I have learned a lot over the past five years working in a Managed Service Provider environment, I feel I have reached a ceiling in my current role. The constant context-switching between different client tenants is becoming exhausting, and I am ready for a fresh challenge where I can focus more deeply on a single organization's infrastructure.

Ideally, I am looking for a Senior IT Systems and Cloud Administrator position. I would love an in-house role that allows me to get hands-on with complex multi-tenant directory services, Azure environments, and self-hosted VPN deployments like WireGuard or Netbird. I really want to be somewhere that values proactive cloud infrastructure optimization rather than just reactive helpdesk support.

Since you are quite connected in the local tech scene, I was wondering if you might know of any companies that are currently hiring. I recently restructured my resume to better highlight my recent enterprise migration projects, and I would be incredibly grateful if you could keep an ear to the ground or pass my details along to anyone looking for a senior admin.

Let's catch up over coffee soon!

Best wishes,

Ron

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 9.0

You have fully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly explained your motivation for leaving your current role, provided a specific description of your desired position, and made a clear request for assistance from your friend. The tone is perfectly suited to a letter to a friend, maintaining a natural and informal yet professional register. The ideas are well-developed and relevant, showing a clear understanding of the task requirements. There are no omissions, and the response is well-structured to meet the needs of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 9.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose, moving smoothly from the opening to the explanation, the job description, the request for help, and the closing. You have used cohesive devices effectively, such as 'While I have learned', 'Since you are quite connected', and 'I was wondering if', which help to link your thoughts naturally. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the flow of information is seamless, making the letter very easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 9.0

Your vocabulary is precise, natural, and highly appropriate for the context of IT professional communication. You demonstrate a wide range of topic-specific vocabulary, such as 'Managed Service Provider', 'context-switching', 'multi-tenant directory services', and 'proactive cloud infrastructure optimization'. This demonstrates a sophisticated control of lexical items. The word choices are accurate and contribute to the clarity and professionalism of your request. There are no noticeable errors in word choice or collocation, and the language used is both fluent and flexible.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 9.0

You display a wide range of grammatical structures with full flexibility and accuracy. Your sentences are varied, incorporating complex structures such as 'While I have learned... I feel I have reached...' and 'I was wondering if you might know...'. Punctuation is used correctly throughout, and there are no grammatical errors. The control over tense and aspect is excellent, particularly when discussing past experience versus future aspirations. The writing is error-free, demonstrating a high level of grammatical competence.

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

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