Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-09
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 Pawan,
I hope this letter finds you well. I'm excited to know that you are interested in a year abroad for your university course!
I still cherish my time living in Canada last year, and I am more than happy to share my experience with you. Living in Toronto, Canada and studying at University of Toronto taught me so much about Canadian culture and daily life.
Beyond improving my language fluency, I gained a deep appreciation for their traditions, culture and cusine. Living in different education environment was incredibly helpful in my academic studies as it sharpened my critical thinking and decision making skills, which helped in my personality development as well.
I believe it helped me a lot to get valuable details about my subject which couldn't be gained from the books alone. It not only helped me to get hands-on experience but also made me more independent.
I hope you'd find the information helpful, and feel free to reach out for any other help.
With love,
Rashpal
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 8.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 8.0 |
| 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 required by the prompt. You clearly identify the location (University of Toronto, Canada), describe your cultural learning (traditions, cuisine, and daily life), and explain the academic benefits (sharpened critical thinking and hands-on experience). The tone is appropriate for a friendly letter, and the purpose is clear throughout. The ideas are well-developed and relevant to the context of advising a friend's sister. You have fully satisfied the requirements of the task.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0
The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, which aids readability. You use cohesive devices such as 'Beyond improving...', 'It not only... but also...', and 'I believe...' to connect your ideas effectively. The progression of information is smooth, and the paragraphing is appropriate for a formal-informal letter. There is a clear sense of flow throughout the text, making it easy for the reader to follow your experience.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.0
You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for the task. Phrases like 'cherish my time', 'language fluency', 'deep appreciation', and 'hands-on experience' show a solid command of English. There is one minor spelling error ('cusine' should be 'cuisine') and a slight collocation issue ('Living in different education environment' should be 'a different educational environment'). However, these are minor and do not impede communication. You use a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your meaning with precision and style.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most of your sentences are error-free, and your control of punctuation is generally good. There are a few minor grammatical slips, such as 'Living in different education environment' (missing an article) and 'I hope you'd find' (the conditional 'would' is slightly unnatural here; 'will' or 'hope you find' would be better). Despite these minor inaccuracies, the grammar is strong, and the meaning is always clear. You demonstrate a good level of control over complex structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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