Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-25

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

It is ten years since you left college. You'd like to organise an event to celebrate this anniversary with all your friends and classmates from college.

Write a letter to one of your college friends. In your letter

• say what kind of celebration event you'd like to organise

• explain why you think it would be good to celebrate in this way

• describe what help you need to organise this event

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ....................................,

Student answer (Band 8.5)

Dear Monika,

How’ve you been? I hope you’re doing well. I’m writing to ask if you could do me a huge favour while I’m away at the end of this month. I’m heading to Ottawa for two weeks to attend an advanced physiotherapy course that was recommended to me by a friend. I’d really appreciate it if you could look after my house and dog while I’m away.

The only thing I’m slightly concerned about is my dog, as he hasn’t been feeling well lately and needs a little extra attention. You’re the only person I know I can completely trust to take good care of him, so I’d feel much more at ease knowing he’s in your hands. I’ll leave all his food and medication clearly labelled, along with a simple schedule to make things easier for you.

As for the house, I’d just need you to make sure he’s fed on time, has plenty of fresh water and gets his medication when required. I’d also appreciate it if you could keep an eye on the CCTV cameras, as there have been a few reports of theft in our neighbourhood recently. Don’t worry about doing any household chores; I’ll take care of everything when I get back.

Fingers crossed you’re free! I’d be incredibly grateful for your help, and I promise I’ll return the favour whenever you need me. Drop me a line and let me know what you think.

Take care,

Miral Khunt

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.0

The response fully satisfies the requirements of a General Training letter. The purpose of writing is immediately clear: to ask Monika to look after the author's house and dog while attending a physiotherapy course in Ottawa. All key points from a typical task prompt of this nature are seamlessly covered, including the reason for absence, the specific responsibilities regarding the dog and the house, and an expression of gratitude with an offer to return the favour. The tone is appropriately friendly, natural, and consistent throughout the text, striking the right balance for correspondence with a friend. Ideas are thoroughly developed with relevant details, such as mentioning the dog's recent illness and the neighbourhood CCTV monitoring, showing excellent task fulfillment.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 8.5

The letter is exceptionally well-structured and easy to follow. Ideas are logically sequenced, beginning with a warm greeting and the main request, moving smoothly into the specifics regarding the dog and house care, and concluding with a polite sign-off. Paragraphing is used very effectively, with each paragraph having a distinct focus (e.g., introduction and main request in paragraph one, the dog's needs in paragraph two, and house/CCTV details in paragraph three). Cohesive devices such as 'As for the house,' 'along with,' and referencing pronouns are used naturally and unobtrusively, ensuring seamless transitions between sentences and ideas throughout the entire text.

Lexical Resource: Band 8.0

The student demonstrates a wide, natural, and fluent vocabulary range suited to informal letter writing. Less common and precise collocations are employed skilfully, such as 'advanced physiotherapy course,' 'slightly concerned,' 'completely trust,' and 'keep an eye on.' Word choices are consistently appropriate, and lexical control is strong throughout. Phrasing sounds entirely authentic and native-like. While the vocabulary is not academic, it fully achieves the stylistic aims of a personal letter with precision and flexibility, showing excellent control over everyday and situational terminology.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 8.5

The writing exhibits an impressive command of grammatical structures. The student uses a wide variety of complex sentence forms accurately, such as conditional and concessive clauses ('while I’m away at the end of this month,' 'You’re the only person I know I can completely trust to take good care of him'). The vast majority of sentences are completely error-free. Control of punctuation, verb tenses, and modals is excellent. Minor slips are absent, and complex structures are handled with ease and natural flow, fully meeting the criteria for a high band score in grammar.

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