Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-07-28

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 Counsellor,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing an email to you requesting to change the schedule for my evening course – InDesign ( Course#12539) that is going to start next week, on Monday. I would like to commence the course from the next term, September 2026.

Unfortunately, I was unaware of the work schedule when I booked the course, and recently I was assigned a new project that is also going to start next week, which will be troublesome for me to attend the class in the evening, given that work will continue in the evening due to a tight project deadline.

However, I would like to start my studies from the next term, considering that our current plan is to finish the project within 2 months due to work affecting TTC transit customers. Therefore, starting of the next term, I will have enough time to focus on my studies completely.

To mitigate the issues, I would like to request that you recommend a solution, if you can provide one in my tough time, to avoid wasting my valuable time. I am open to welcome the suggestion for my bright career.

I believe these problems require immediate attention to avoid further issues. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

Milan Bodar

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The response successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly explain the situation regarding your work schedule, state your intention to defer the course to the next term, and politely request advice on the procedure. The tone is appropriate for a formal email to a course counsellor. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the letter is clear from the outset. You have maintained a consistent and professional tone throughout the correspondence, which is essential for a General Training Task 1 response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the request, which helps the reader follow your argument easily. You use cohesive devices such as 'Unfortunately', 'However', and 'Therefore' to link your ideas effectively. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the transition between explaining the problem and proposing a solution is smooth. The overall structure is coherent and professional.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for a formal request, such as 'commence', 'mitigate', and 'consideration'. While some phrasing is slightly wordy (e.g., 'I am open to welcome the suggestion'), the meaning remains clear and the tone is polite. There are no significant spelling or word-choice errors that impede communication. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate more precise collocations to avoid slightly repetitive phrasing like 'valuable time' or 'tough time'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most sentences are grammatically accurate, and punctuation is generally handled well. There are minor slips, such as 'starting of the next term' (should be 'starting from') and 'I am open to welcome the suggestion' (which is slightly unnatural). However, these errors are infrequent and do not cause any confusion for the reader. The majority of your sentences are error-free, demonstrating a solid command of English grammar.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.