Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-02

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You recently used a company to help you move your furniture and possessions to your new apartment. The removal company has now asked for your feedback about the service they provided.

Write a letter to the removal company. In your letter

• explain what went well on the day you moved house

• praise an employee who was particularly helpful

• mention an aspect of the service that you were not happy with

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 8.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to provide feedback regarding the removal service your company provided for my recent move. Overall, I was very impressed with the efficiency and professionalism demonstrated by your team throughout the day.

The removal process went smoothly, and all of my furniture and personal belongings arrived at the new address without any damage or unnecessary delays. I would particularly like to praise one of your team members, Mark, who went above and beyond to assist us. He handled fragile items with extreme care, remained polite and professional, and worked tirelessly to ensure everything was placed in the correct rooms.

However, I was disappointed with the unexpected delay in your team's arrival on the morning of the move. The moving crew arrived over an hour later than the agreed time without providing any prior notification, which caused unnecessary stress and disrupted our schedule for the rest of the day.

I hope you find this feedback constructive, and I thank you for your overall assistance.

Yours faithfully,

Kishan

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.5

The response covers all parts of the prompt fully and effectively. Every bullet point is addressed with well-developed ideas and relevant details. For instance, the writer successfully explains what went well during the move, specifically noting that belongings arrived undamaged and without unnecessary delays. Furthermore, the employee who provided exceptional assistance is clearly praised by name as 'Mark,' highlighting his care with fragile items. Finally, the aspect of the service that caused dissatisfaction—the unexpected arrival delay—is clearly communicated. The tone is entirely appropriate for a formal complaint and feedback letter, adopting a polite yet firm stance throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 8.5

Ideas are logically sequenced and flow naturally from the opening statement of purpose into the positive aspects, the employee praise, the complaint, and finally the concluding remarks. Each paragraph has a clear and distinct focus, demonstrating skillful and appropriate paragraphing. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall,' 'and all of,' 'I would particularly like to,' and 'However' are managed very well without any mechanical overuse. The progression of ideas throughout the letter is smooth, guiding the reader effortlessly from one point to the next.

Lexical Resource: Band 8.0

The vocabulary used throughout the response is wide, fluent, and flexible, demonstrating a natural control of language suited to the formal context. The writer employs sophisticated and uncommon lexical items such as 'efficiency and professionalism,' 'fragile items,' 'extreme care,' and 'unplanned notification equivalents.' There are virtually no inaccuracies in word choice or collocation, and spelling is completely accurate. To move even further into the highest band descriptors, the writer could incorporate slightly more idiomatic or nuanced phrasing, though the current range is already highly proficient.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 8.5

The letter displays a wide range of grammatical structures, successfully blending compound and complex sentences with seamless control. The vast majority of sentences are completely error-free, featuring excellent command over verb tenses, such as past simple forms for the events of the day ('arrived,' 'went,' 'was') and present simple for the opening statement. Punctuation is used accurately throughout, and prepositional phrases inside grammatical patterns are handled flawlessly. Only very occasional or minor slips could separate this from absolute perfection, but the overall control of grammar is exceptionally strong.

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