Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-07-24

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You have enrolled in an evening course but you have found that you are too busy to continue and would like to take the course next term instead.

• explain the situation and why you cannot continue the course

• say what you would like to do about your studies

• ask for advice about what you can do about the situation

Student answer (Band 8.0)

Dear Course Coordinator,

I am writing to formally request a deferral of my current enrollment in the evening Python Programming course to the upcoming winter term.

Recently, my company launched a major system restructuring project, which unexpectedly doubled my weekly workload. Because I am now required to work late hours and handle frequent urgent deployments, I cannot attend the evening lectures or dedicate the necessary time to complete the weekly assignments.

I remain fully committed to mastering this subject and completing the certification. Therefore, I would like to postpone my studies entirely until next term, when this work project concludes and my schedule returns to normal.

Could you please advise me on the official procedure for deferring a course? I would appreciate information regarding any deadlines, administrative forms I need to submit, or potential fee transfer policies.

Thank you for your time, understanding, and assistance.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points of the prompt effectively: it explains the situation (system restructuring), states the desired outcome (deferral to next term), and asks for advice on the procedure. The tone is appropriate for a formal request. However, the response is 145 words long, failing to meet the 150-word minimum requirement. This under-length impacts the overall task achievement score, as the development of ideas is slightly constrained by the brevity. To improve, you should expand slightly on the impact of the workload or provide more context regarding your commitment to the course to ensure you comfortably exceed the minimum word count.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The letter is well-structured with a clear logical progression. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose, moving from the request to the explanation, the proposed solution, and finally the inquiry. Cohesive devices such as 'Therefore', 'Because', and 'However' are used effectively to link ideas. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter, and the flow of information is smooth and easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 8.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary suitable for a formal context. Phrases such as 'formally request a deferral', 'system restructuring project', and 'administrative forms' are precise and appropriate. The word choice is natural and contributes to the professional tone of the letter. There are no spelling errors, and the vocabulary is used accurately to convey your meaning. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate slightly more sophisticated collocations or idiomatic expressions that fit a formal business register.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.5

The grammar is highly accurate, with a variety of complex sentence structures used correctly. For example, the use of subordinate clauses in 'Because I am now required to work late hours...' and '...when this work project concludes...' shows good control. Punctuation is used correctly throughout, and there are no noticeable grammatical errors. The writing is clear, fluent, and demonstrates a high level of grammatical competence, which is consistent with a strong performance in this criterion.

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