Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-08-13

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

A family member is coming to stay with you. He/she will be arriving by train in the morning, but you won’t be home until the evening.

• explain arrangements you have made for them to have keys and get into the house

• tell your relative how to get from the train station to your house

• say when you will be home and suggest what you could do together that evening

Student answer (Band 8.0)

Dear Sarah,

I’m really looking forward to having you stay with me. I’m sorry that I won’t be home when you arrive in the morning, but I have made arrangements so you can get into the house easily.

I will leave a spare key with my neighbour, Mrs. Brown, who lives next door. Just knock on her door, introduce yourself, and tell her that you are my cousin. She will give you the key and show you where to find the house. Once inside, you can relax and leave your luggage in the guest room.

To get here from the train station, take the number 12 bus, which stops near my house. The journey takes about 20 minutes. You can also take a taxi if you have heavy luggage.

I’ll be home around 6:30 p.m. That evening, we could have dinner at a nearby restaurant and then go for a walk together.

Have a safe journey!

Best wishes,

Shilpa

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response fully addresses all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly explained the key arrangement with your neighbour, provided specific instructions for the bus route from the train station, and stated your arrival time while suggesting a dinner and walk for the evening. The tone is consistently appropriate for a letter to a family member, maintaining a friendly and helpful register throughout. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the letter is clear from the outset, meeting all requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organised with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific requirement of the prompt, which makes the information easy to follow. You have used cohesive devices effectively, such as 'Once inside' and 'To get here', to link your sentences and paragraphs. The use of paragraphing is appropriate for a formal or semi-formal letter, and the referencing is clear throughout. The flow of information is natural and there is no confusion regarding the instructions provided.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly and naturally. Phrases like 'made arrangements', 'introduce yourself', and 'heavy luggage' are accurate and appropriate for the context. While the vocabulary is functional and fits the task well, it remains relatively standard. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate slightly more sophisticated collocations or idiomatic expressions that sound more natural in a personal letter, such as 'drop by' or 'make yourself at home'. However, there are no errors in word choice or spelling that impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The grammar is accurate and demonstrates a good command of sentence structures. You have successfully used a mix of simple and complex sentences, such as the conditional 'if you have heavy luggage' and the relative clause 'who lives next door'. Punctuation is used correctly throughout, and there are no significant grammatical errors. The writing is error-free for the most part, showing a high level of control. To push into the highest bands, you could experiment with a wider variety of complex grammatical structures, such as passive voice or more varied modal verb usage.

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

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