Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-09-02

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 Sam,

I hope you are doing well. I am really excited that you are coming to stay with me this Sunday morning. Unfortunately, I have just realised that I will not be home until the evening, but don't worry, as I have made arrangements for you to get into the house.

First of all, I am sorry that I will not be there to meet you at the station. After leaving the railway station, you can take the TTC bus from the stop beside Tim Hortons. Take bus 55 and get off at the Finch and Warden station. From there, continue walking along Finch Road until you reach Hurican Street. Turn left onto Hurican Street and walk for approximately 150 metres. You will find our house, number 1111, on the left-hand side.

I have left the front-door key inside the mailbox. The mailbox code is 1010. Simply enter the code, take the key and let yourself into the house. Please make yourself comfortable and feel free to use anything you need. I will be home at the end of the day.

I am looking forward to seeing you and spending some time together this evening. We could have dinner together and perhaps watch a movie afterwards.

Take care and see you soon!

Your loving brother,

aea

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 arrangements, provided specific and logical directions from the station to your house, and suggested a concrete plan for the evening. The tone is 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. You have successfully met all the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, which makes the information easy to follow. You have used cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'From there', and 'afterwards' effectively to link your sentences and paragraphs. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the flow of information is natural. There is a clear sense of structure that guides the reader through the instructions without any confusion.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly and naturally. Phrases like 'make yourself comfortable', 'let yourself into the house', and 'realised that I will not be home' are accurate and appropriate for the context. While the vocabulary is functional and fits the task well, it is mostly standard. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate slightly more sophisticated collocations or descriptive language, though the current range is perfectly adequate for this task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The grammar is generally accurate, and you have demonstrated a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. For example, the use of conditional and time clauses ('If... then', 'when I will be home') is handled well. There are very few errors, and those present do not impede communication. Punctuation is used correctly throughout the letter. The control over sentence structure is consistent, and the writing is error-free for the vast majority of the text.

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

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