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 the 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 cuisine. Living in a totally different education environment was incredibly helpful in my academic studies as it sharpened my critical thinking and decision-making skills, which helped develop my personality.

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 confidence but also made me more independent.

I hope you'd find the information helpful, and feel free to reach out if you have any doubts.

Best wishes,

Rashpal

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly identified the location (University of Toronto, Canada), described your cultural learning (traditions, cuisine, and daily life), and explained the academic benefits (critical thinking and independence). The tone is appropriate for a friendly letter, and the purpose is clear throughout. To reach a higher band, you could provide more specific examples of what you learned about the country, such as a particular tradition or a specific aspect of the culture that surprised you, to further develop your ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is well-organized with a logical progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, and the transition between paragraphs is smooth. You use cohesive devices effectively, such as 'Beyond improving my language fluency' and 'It not only helped me... but also'. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter format. The flow of information is natural, and the relationship between ideas is clear 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, using phrases like 'cherish my time', 'language fluency', and 'hands-on confidence'. The word choice is generally precise and appropriate for the context. There is a slight repetition of the word 'helped' in the final paragraph, which could be improved by using synonyms. Overall, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly and effectively, with no errors that impede communication. To improve, try incorporating more sophisticated collocations or idiomatic expressions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The writing shows a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Your grammar is generally accurate, and punctuation is used correctly throughout. There are no significant errors that cause confusion. You successfully use complex structures, such as 'I believe it helped me a lot to get valuable details about my subject which couldn't be gained from the books alone'. The control over verb tenses is consistent, and the sentence construction is varied enough to maintain interest. The writing is clear and error-free for the most part.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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