Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-03
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
The younger sister of one of your friends is thinking about spending a year studying abroad as part of her university course. You did this recently, and she has asked you about your experience.
Write a letter to your friend's sister. In your letter
tell her where you studied during your year abroad
describe what you learnt about the country you studied in
explain why your year abroad was helpful for your studies
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear........,
Student answer (Band 7.5)
Dear Julia,
I hope you're in the pink of health! I'm so excited to know that you're planning to study abroad for one year. Trust me, this would turn into the best decision of your life if you take the full advantage of this opportunity. As you know that I moved to Canada during the last year of my university studies for gaining international knowledge, I continued my course in Cape Breton University in Sydney, Nova Scotia. Although the university was located in a small community, I learnt numerous life lessons that were significantly helpful in my career.
Firstly, connecting with aboriginal people taught me a lot about Canada as I got to know how this country builds stronger foreign relationships for supporting their economy. Also, this experience taught me about how Canadian people convert the market gaps into entrepreneurial opportunities.
Being a business student, the global exposure and multi-cultural environment was extremely beneficial for me as I could deeply understand my theoretical concepts due to the practical knowledge that I gained during my co-op placement in Sydney.
I'm sure that you'll never regret this decision if you study in a foreign country with the same dedication.
Yours truly,
Jashan
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 8.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.5 |
| Overall | 7.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0
The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly identified your study location (Cape Breton University), provided insights into the country (aboriginal culture and entrepreneurial spirit), and explained the academic benefits (practical application of theoretical concepts). The tone is appropriate for a friendly letter, and the ideas are well-developed and relevant. You have fully satisfied the requirements of the task by providing a coherent and informative response that directly answers the sister's request for information.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5
The letter is well-organized with a logical progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, and you use transition words like 'Firstly', 'Also', and 'Although' to guide the reader. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the flow of information is smooth. While the cohesive devices are generally effective, a slightly wider variety of linking phrases could elevate the response further. Overall, the structure is clear and the information is easy to follow throughout the letter.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.0
You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary, including idiomatic expressions like 'in the pink of health' and topic-specific terms such as 'entrepreneurial opportunities' and 'co-op placement'. There is a good level of precision in your word choice, which helps convey your experience effectively. While there are a few minor awkward collocations (e.g., 'for gaining international knowledge' could be more naturally phrased as 'to gain international experience'), the vocabulary is sufficient to express complex ideas clearly and accurately throughout the text.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5
The response shows a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You use subordinate clauses effectively, such as 'Although the university was located in a small community...' and '...as I could deeply understand my theoretical concepts...'. Grammatical control is generally strong, with only minor slips, such as the unnecessary 'that' in 'As you know that I moved' or the slightly awkward phrasing 'Canadian people convert the market gaps'. These errors are infrequent and do not impede communication, showing a solid command of English grammar.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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