Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-09-05

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 7.5)

Dear Smith,

I hope you're doing well! I am very excited because you are visiting me after such a long time. Unfortunately, I am very gutted to inform you that I won't be able to meet you at the station as my boss informed me that we have a very important client meeting at the same time of your arrival.

Thankfully, you don't have to worry about the keys of my apartment. I have left a spare key with my neighbour, Mrs Patel, who lives in apartment 812. She will be at home all morning and knows you are coming.

When you reach the station, take the number 95 bus towards Riverside and get off at Glendale Avenue. My building is right opposite to the pharmacy which is about a five-minute walk from the bus stop.

I will take a half-day leave after the meeting is over and reach home by 3 p.m. We can order the neopolitano pizza and alfredo pasta from that Italian restaurant you liked very much when you visited last time. Furthermore, we can drive around the town and eat ice cream from the famous local shop that I love.

Best wishes,

Nitya

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

You have fully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly explained the key arrangements with your neighbour, provided specific directions from the station, and detailed your arrival time along with a suggestion for the evening. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a family member, maintaining a friendly and personal style throughout. The ideas are well-developed and relevant, ensuring the reader has all the necessary information to navigate their arrival and your subsequent meeting. The response is well-structured and meets all requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a specific aspect of the task. You have used appropriate cohesive devices such as 'Thankfully', 'When you reach', and 'Furthermore' to link your ideas smoothly. The progression of information is clear, moving from the arrival logistics to the evening plans. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate distinct topics, which makes the letter easy to follow. The referencing is consistent, and the flow between sentences is natural, contributing to a coherent and well-managed piece of writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for a semi-formal or informal letter. Phrases like 'gutted to inform you', 'spare key', and 'take a half-day leave' are natural and accurate. While the vocabulary is sufficient and precise, there is room to incorporate more sophisticated or idiomatic expressions to reach the highest band. There are no significant errors in word choice or collocation that impede meaning. Your use of specific nouns like 'pharmacy' and 'Riverside' adds clarity to the instructions provided.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most of your sentences are error-free, and your control over tense and punctuation is strong. For example, the use of the future tense for the arrival plans and the present tense for the directions is handled correctly. There are very few minor slips, such as 'opposite to the pharmacy' (which is more naturally phrased as 'opposite the pharmacy'). Overall, your grammatical control is consistent, and the structures used are varied enough to convey your message clearly and fluently.

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

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