Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-20

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You are a member of an International Students' club. The club is organising an event to celebrate popular food from around the world.

Write a letter to the event organiser, Luis. In your letter

• offer to make a popular dish from your country
• describe what this dish is
• explain why it should be included in the event

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Luis,

Student answer (Band 8.0)

Dear Luis,

I am writing to offer my help with the upcoming international food event. I would be delighted to prepare butter chicken, a very popular dish from my country, India.

Butter chicken is a delicious Indian curry made with tender pieces of chicken cooked in a rich, creamy tomato-based sauce. It is usually prepared with butter, cream and a blend of traditional Indian spices. It is commonly served with naan or rice.

I believe this dish should be included because it is one of the most well-known Indian foods and represents the rich flavors and cooking tradition of my country. It is also suitable for an international event because it is flavorful but not usually too spicy, so people from different cultures can enjoy it.

I would be happy to prepare enough food for everyone and explain the ingredients and cooking process to interested students.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Sukhdev Singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response fully addresses all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly offer to make butter chicken, provide a descriptive explanation of the dish, and justify its inclusion by highlighting its cultural significance and accessibility for a diverse group. The tone is appropriate for a letter to an event organiser, maintaining a helpful and professional register throughout. The ideas are well-developed and directly relevant to the task requirements, ensuring the reader understands both the nature of the contribution and the reasoning behind it. No parts of the task are omitted, and the response is well-focused on the specific context provided.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose, moving from the offer to the description, then to the justification, and finally to the closing offer of assistance. Cohesive devices such as 'because', 'also', and 'so' are used effectively to link ideas within and between sentences. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter, and the flow of information is smooth and easy to follow. The transition between the description of the dish and the explanation of why it should be included is particularly natural, demonstrating good control over the structure of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for the topic. Phrases like 'tender pieces of chicken', 'rich, creamy tomato-based sauce', and 'blend of traditional Indian spices' show a strong ability to describe food items with precision. The vocabulary is natural and fits the context well. While the range is sufficient and accurate, it could be pushed further toward a more sophisticated level to reach the highest bands, perhaps by incorporating more varied descriptive adjectives or nuanced verbs. However, there are no errors in word choice or collocation, and the language used is consistently clear and effective.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The writing is highly accurate, with a variety of sentence structures used correctly. You successfully employ complex sentences, such as 'I believe this dish should be included because it is one of the most well-known Indian foods and represents the rich flavors and cooking tradition of my country.' Punctuation is used correctly throughout, and there are no grammatical errors that impede communication. The majority of sentences are error-free, and the control over verb tenses and subject-verb agreement is consistent. The writing is polished and demonstrates 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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