Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-09-16
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 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 some arrangements so you can get into the house easily.
I’ll leave a spare key with my neighbour, Mrs. Brown, who lives in the house next door. Just knock on her door and tell her that you are my cousin. She will give you the key and you can make yourself comfortable at home. I’ll also leave a note on the kitchen table with some useful information.
From the train station, you can take the number 301 bus, which stops near my house. Get off at the Oak Street stop, and then walk straight for about five minutes. My house is the second one on the left, with a blue door. It should be quite easy to find, but call me if you have any trouble.
I’ll be home around 6:00 p.m. In the evening, we could have dinner together and catch up. If you’re not too tired after your journey, we could also go for a walk around the neighbourhood or watch a movie at home.
See you soon!
Love,
Jyoti
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 8.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 8.0 |
| Overall | 7.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0
The response fully and effectively addresses all three bullet points required by the task prompt. First, the writer clearly explains the arrangement for the keys, mentioning Mrs. Brown next door and the note on the kitchen table. Second, clear and practical directions are provided from the train station using the number 301 bus and the Oak Street stop. Finally, the student specifies the expected arrival time around 6:00 p.m. and suggests realistic, appealing evening activities such as having dinner, catching up, going for a walk, or watching a movie. All parts of the prompt are well-covered with appropriate tone and good detail, achieving a high standard for General Training Task 1.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5
The letter is logically sequenced, moving smoothly from the greeting and key arrangements to travel directions, and finally to evening plans and sign-off. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each paragraph dedicated to a distinct aspect of the prompt. Cohesive devices such as 'First', 'From the train station', and 'In the evening' are handled naturally to guide the reader through the text. Referencing is clear throughout, contributing to an easy flow of ideas that meets the criteria for Band 7 and touches upon the structured clarity of higher bands.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.0
The student demonstrates a sufficient and natural vocabulary range appropriate for an informal letter. Phrases such as 'spare key', 'make yourself comfortable', and 'catch up' are used accurately and with good stylistic awareness. While the vocabulary is fairly standard rather than packed with highly uncommon idiomatic items, it serves the communicative purpose precisely. Word choice and spelling are entirely correct, allowing for smooth and uninterrupted reading.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0
The response exhibits a good variety of sentence structures, successfully combining simple sentences with complex forms (e.g., 'I’m sorry that I won’t be home when you arrive in the morning...'). The majority of sentences are error-free, and grammatical control is consistently strong. Punctuation and tense usage are handled accurately throughout, reflecting the criteria for Band 8 where only occasional non-systematic errors might be expected, though here the text is practically flawless.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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