Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)
Dear Alia,
I am writing this letter in response to your queries regarding the university course in a foreign country.
I did my masters from the University of Toronto majoring in computer science and engineering technology. I must say that it was an outstanding experience studying abroad as not only I was able to gain copious knowledge in academics, I also learned about the Canadian culture and traditions.
While my stay, I was able to travel from east coast to west coast. I learned about the histories of different provinces and I also tried various local cuisines. Moreover, Canada is the home to the largest number of freshwater lakes in the world. I particularly enjoyed my time in Banff and was awe-stuck by the beauty of the Lake Louis. Another interesting fact about Canada that I got to know is that 95% of its population lives near the US border.
It is vital to choose a reputed university for studies as top tier colleges offer employment support with multinational companies. I was able to get hands-on practice in the field of robotics along with exposure of management skills in my internships.
Wishing you all the very best for your future studies.
Yours lovingly,
Achin
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.0 |
| Overall | 7.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5
You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly stated where you studied (University of Toronto), described your learning about the country (history, geography, and culture), and explained the benefits for your studies (internships and management skills). The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend's sister. To reach a higher band, ensure that the connection between your experience and the advice you give is more explicitly linked to the reader's potential situation, as the prompt asks you to share your experience to help her decide. Overall, the response is well-developed and relevant.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0
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 helps the reader follow your ideas easily. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Moreover' and 'Another interesting fact' to link sentences. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. To improve, try to vary your linking words and ensure that the flow between sentences is more natural. The paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to the overall clarity of the message.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.0
You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary, using terms like 'copious knowledge', 'reputed university', and 'top tier'. These choices show an attempt to use more sophisticated language. There are a few minor collocation issues, such as 'I did my masters from' (should be 'at') and 'exposure of management skills' (should be 'exposure to'). Despite these small slips, your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly and effectively throughout the letter. Expanding your use of idiomatic expressions or more precise collocations would help elevate your score further.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most of your sentences are clear and error-free. There are a few minor grammatical slips, such as 'While my stay' (should be 'During my stay') and 'Canada is the home to' (should be 'Canada is home to'). Additionally, 'awe-stuck' is slightly misused in this context. However, these errors are infrequent and do not impede communication. You have good control over punctuation and sentence construction, which makes your writing easy to read and follow.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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