Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-16

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You recently received a letter from a friend asking for advice about whether to go to college or to try to get a job. You think he/she should get a job.

Write a letter to this friend. In your letter

• say why he/she would not enjoy going to college
• explain why getting a job is a good idea for him/her
• suggest types of job that would be suitable for him/her

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ................. ,

Student answer (Band 7.5)

Dear Sara,

I hope you are doing well! I am extremely delighted to receive your letter in which you are seeking my advice whether you should enroll in a academic course or find a new job.

Bestie! I know you since our childhood, and I am particularly aware of your disliking towards studying for long hours. You have never been interested in paying close attention to reading books and doing assignments instead your keen interest lies in performing practical activities and meeting new people. Therefore, spending a few years at college may become boring for you, so getting a new job is a suitable option.

Further, working at a job would allow you to gain a valuable experience which will be helpful in your future. You could not only learn how to manage monthly expenses, but also communicate effectively with colleagues and customers.

Honey! since you are highly interested in customer service and sales department, I would suggest working in a retail sector. Your friendly nature and confidence will allow you to interact with people from different backgrounds, and these skills will allow you to understand your strengths and weaknesses. I hope my suggestion would help you to make the right decision for your future.

Sending you warm hugs and love.

With love,

Jessica

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response successfully covers all the required bullet points of the task. You clearly explain why Sara would not enjoy going to college by pointing out her preference for practical activities over studying for long hours. You also provide compelling reasons why getting a job is beneficial, such as gaining valuable experience and learning how to manage expenses. Finally, you successfully suggest a suitable job in the retail sector and explain why it fits her friendly nature and confidence. The tone is appropriately informal and friendly for a general training letter, and the purpose is fully achieved throughout the writing.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

Your letter is well-organized with a clear, logical progression of ideas from start to finish. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose, moving smoothly from the greeting and introduction to your reasons against college, the benefits of working, specific job suggestions, and a warm closing. You use appropriate cohesive devices and referencing well, such as 'Therefore', 'Further', and 'these skills', which help connect your thoughts naturally. Paragraphing is used effectively and appropriately for an informal letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient and flexible range of vocabulary suited to a friendly, semi-formal correspondence. Phrases like 'extremely delighted', 'keen interest', 'manage monthly expenses', and 'customer service' show good control of word choice. There are a few minor lexical slips, such as 'an academic course' instead of 'an academic course' or 'enroll in college', and a slight awkwardness in 'know you since our childhood' instead of 'have known you since childhood', but these do not impede communication. Overall, your vocabulary is varied and natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

You utilize a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including relative clauses and conditional ideas ('Your friendly nature and confidence will allow you to interact...'). The majority of your sentences are error-free, demonstrating a solid command of grammar and punctuation. There is a minor tense slip in 'I know you since our childhood' (should be present perfect 'have known'), and a slight punctuation/capitalization slip with 'Honey! since you...'. However, these infrequent errors do not interfere with readability or meaning, reflecting strong overall grammatical control.

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