Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-15

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You work for an international company. You have seen an advertisement for a training course which will be useful for your job.

Write a letter to your manager. In your letter

• describe the training course you want to do
• explain what the company could do to help you
• say how the course will be useful for your job

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 8.0)

Dear Manager,

I am writing to ask for your permission to attend a training course on international project management. I recently saw an advertisement for this course, which is a three-day programme covering project planning, team coordination, risk management, and effective communication in international teams.

I would be grateful if the company could help me by covering the course fee and, if possible, the travel and accommodation expenses. I would also appreciate being given time away from my usual duties to attend the training.

I believe this course would be very useful for my job because I regularly work with colleagues and clients from different countries. The skills I gain in managing international projects and communicating with multicultural teams would help me organise projects more efficiently, avoid misunderstandings, and meet deadlines more effectively. I would also be happy to share what I learn with my colleagues after completing the course.

Thank you for considering my request. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Michelle

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response fully addresses all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly describe the training course, specify the support needed from the company (financial and time-related), and provide a logical explanation of how the skills gained will benefit your professional performance. The tone is appropriate for a formal business letter, and the purpose is clear from the outset. The ideas are well-developed and relevant, showing a strong understanding of the task requirements. No parts of the prompt were omitted, and the response maintains a professional focus throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a specific requirement of the prompt. The progression of ideas is smooth, moving from the request to the specific needs, and finally to the justification. Cohesive devices such as 'I would also be happy to' and 'The skills I gain' are used effectively to link sentences and ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different sections of the letter, making it easy for the reader to follow your argument. The structure is clear and professional.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for a professional context. Phrases like 'international project management', 'risk management', and 'multicultural teams' are used accurately and naturally. The language is precise and fits the formal tone required for a letter to a manager. While the vocabulary is functional and accurate, it could be slightly more sophisticated to reach the highest band, but it is certainly sufficient for clear and effective communication. There are no spelling or word-choice errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The grammar is highly accurate, with a variety of complex sentence structures used correctly. You effectively employ conditional structures ('if possible', 'I would be grateful if') and relative clauses ('which is a three-day programme', 'that I learn') to convey your message. Punctuation is used correctly throughout, and there are no noticeable grammatical errors. The control over sentence structure is strong, and the writing flows naturally, which is indicative of a high level of grammatical competence.

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

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