Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-09-27

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 seeing you next week! Since you’ll arrive by train in the morning while I’ll be at work, I’ve made arrangements so you can get into the house easily.

I’ll leave a spare key with my neighbour, Mrs Patel, who lives next door. She knows you’re coming, so simply knock on her door, introduce yourself and collect the key. You can then let yourself into the house and make yourself comfortable.

From the train station, take bus number 25, which stops directly outside the station. Get off at Oak Street, and my house is only a five-minute walk away. Walk straight along Oak Street, turn left at the pharmacy, and you’ll find my house on the right. I’ll also send you the address and directions on your phone.

I should be home by 6:30 p.m. We could have dinner together and then take a walk around the neighbourhood while catching up.

See you soon!

Best wishes,

Girish

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.0

The response fully and effectively satisfies all the bullet points outlined in the prompt. You adopt an appropriate, friendly tone suitable for a letter to a family member. First, you clearly explain the arrangements for the house keys by stating that a spare key will be left with neighbour Mrs Patel. Second, you provide precise and logical travel instructions from the train station, mentioning bus number 25, Oak Street, and a straightforward walking route. Finally, you state the exact time you will return home (6:30 p.m.) and suggest a lovely, natural evening activity involving dinner and a walk around the neighbourhood to catch up. All ideas are well-developed and directly relevant to the task without any unnecessary digressions, showing a complete understanding of General Training Task 1 requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 8.0

Your letter demonstrates a clear logical organization and progression throughout. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose, moving smoothly from the greeting and key arrangements to travel directions, and finally to evening plans and sign-off. Cohesive devices such as 'Since', 'simply', 'You can then', and 'which' are used accurately and flexibly to link ideas naturally without feeling mechanical. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and referencing (such as 'She knows you're coming' and 'my house on the right') is exceptionally clear, ensuring the reader can follow every detail effortlessly from start to finish.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.5

You demonstrate a sufficient and flexible range of vocabulary suited to a semi-formal or informal letter. Expressions such as 'make yourself comfortable', 'straight along Oak Street', and 'catching up' sound natural and idiomatic. You also incorporate less common and precise vocabulary items like 'spare key', 'neighbour', and 'pharmacy' with good awareness of collocation and style. Spelling and word choice are entirely accurate throughout the response, allowing for smooth communication with zero strain on the reader. While vocabulary is well-suited to the task, adding a few more sophisticated descriptive phrases could push this score even higher.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 8.0

You showcase an impressive variety of sentence structures, mixing simple sentences effectively with complex constructions such as 'Since you’ll arrive by train in the morning while I’ll be at work, I’ve made arrangements so you can get into the house easily.' The majority of your sentences are completely error-free, reflecting a strong command of grammar and punctuation. Control of verb tenses—including future forms ('I'll leave', 'I'll also send') and modals ('We could have')—is handled accurately throughout. Punctuation is used correctly to guide the reader through complex thoughts, marking this as a very strong grammatical performance.

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