Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-04
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 7.0)
Dear Pal,
How are you doing lately? It’s been such a long time since we had a coffee. I’m over the moon after hearing about your enthusiasm to study at the University of Ottawa. I’ve completed my Masters Degree in Engineering here and I would like to share my experiences.
Firstly, this university is one of the best in Canada. Ottawa is Canada’s capital, and the city is filled with French people as well. The university campus is spread across the downtown. Also, there are a plethora of Indian food options too. That’s not all, I’m super impressed with the work culture, I believe you’ll learn a lot here and grow professionally and personally.
Plus, I made a perfect choice to study abroad here in Canada, as the teaching culture and exposure to industry and professors are simply the best. I’m currently working in the construction industry and my skill-set directly applies to the real world.
Do you remember our classmate Kushani? She is also in town and we’ll go out and eat our favourite Punjabi food over drinks.
I wish you all the best, and keep me updated with your status.
Catch you soon.
Thanks,
Neel.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.0 |
| Overall | 7.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
You have addressed all three bullet points of the task. You clearly identified where you studied (University of Ottawa), described the country (mentioning the capital, French influence, and food), and explained the benefits for your studies (industry exposure and professional growth). However, the tone is slightly inconsistent. The prompt asks you to write to a friend's sister, but you address the letter 'Dear Pal' and refer to her as a classmate, which suggests you are writing to the friend herself rather than the sister. This misinterpretation of the recipient affects the task fulfilment. To improve, ensure you carefully read the persona requirements in the prompt.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0
The letter is logically organized with clear paragraph breaks for each point. You use some cohesive devices like 'Firstly', 'Also', and 'Plus' to link ideas. However, the transition between the introduction and the body paragraphs is slightly abrupt. The reference to 'our classmate Kushani' in the penultimate paragraph feels disconnected from the main purpose of the letter, which is to advise the sister about studying abroad. Improving the flow between your personal anecdotes and the advice you are providing would make the letter more cohesive and professional.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.0
You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary, using phrases like 'over the moon', 'plethora of', and 'professional and personally'. These choices are natural and appropriate for an informal letter. There are no significant spelling or word-choice errors that impede communication. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise academic or professional collocations related to the 'study abroad' theme, such as 'academic curriculum' or 'cross-cultural experience', rather than relying on general descriptors like 'simply the best'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most sentences are error-free, and your control of punctuation is generally good. There are minor issues, such as the comma splice in 'Ottawa is Canada’s capital, and the city is filled with French people as well' and the slightly awkward phrasing 'my skill-set directly applies to the real world'. However, these errors are infrequent and do not hinder the reader's understanding. You have a solid grasp of grammar that allows for clear communication throughout the letter.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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