Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-19

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

A large company in your area has decided to spend a certain amount of money, either to sponsor a local children's sports team for two years, or to pay for two open-air concerts. It has asked for feedback from the general public.

Write a letter to the company. In your letter

• describe the benefits of sponsoring the sports team
• summarise the benefits of paying for the concerts
• say how you think the company should spend the money

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 hope you are doing well. I am writing in response to your company's decision to allocate funds either to sponsor a local children's sports team for two years or to finance two open-air concerts. As you are seeking feedback from the general public, I would like to outline the advantages of both options and explain which I believe would be more beneficial to the community.

Sponsoring the sports team would offer several long-term benefits. Most importantly, it would encourage children to remain physically active and adopt healthier lifestyles. In addition, participating in team sports can help young people develop valuable qualities such as discipline, cooperation and perseverance. The funding could also be used to purchase high-quality equipment, provide suitable training facilities and cover travel expenses for competitions, giving children greater opportunities to develop their sporting abilities.

By contrast, funding two open-air concerts would provide entertainment for a considerably wider section of the community. Such events could bring residents together, regardless of their age, and provide an enjoyable opportunity for families and friends to spend time together. Furthermore, large concerts could attract visitors from surrounding areas, potentially generating additional revenue for local restaurants, shops and other businesses.

Despite these advantages, I strongly believe that the company should invest in the children's sports team. Although the concerts would undoubtedly create memorable experiences, their benefits would largely be temporary. Supporting the team for two years, however, would provide sustained opportunities for children to remain active, develop important life skills and potentially discover a lasting passion for sport. It would therefore represent a more meaningful and long-term investment in the local community.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my views. I hope you will give serious consideration to supporting the children's sports team.

Yours faithfully,

Usama

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the task. You have clearly described the benefits of both the sports team sponsorship and the open-air concerts. Your position is established in the introduction and maintained consistently throughout the letter, with a clear justification provided in the final body paragraph. The ideas are well-developed and supported with relevant examples, such as the mention of 'discipline, cooperation and perseverance' for the sports team and 'generating additional revenue' for the concerts. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a company, and the structure is logical and balanced.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between the benefits of the sports team and the concerts is smooth, using effective cohesive devices such as 'By contrast' and 'Despite these advantages'. The use of linking words like 'Most importantly', 'In addition', and 'Furthermore' helps to guide the reader through your argument. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the different requirements of the prompt, and referencing is clear throughout the text. The flow of information is natural and professional.

Lexical Resource — Band 8.0

You demonstrate a wide and flexible range of vocabulary, which is used with precision and natural control. Phrases such as 'allocate funds', 'sustained opportunities', and 'meaningful and long-term investment' show a sophisticated command of language. The collocations are accurate, and there is a clear awareness of the formal style required for this task. There are no noticeable errors in word choice or spelling, and the vocabulary is varied enough to maintain the reader's interest while remaining entirely relevant to the topic.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.5

The response exhibits a wide range of grammatical structures, including complex sentences that are handled with high accuracy. Your use of conditional and concessive clauses, such as 'Although the concerts would undoubtedly create memorable experiences, their benefits would largely be temporary', is particularly effective. Punctuation is accurate, and the sentence construction is varied, contributing to the overall fluency of the letter. There are no significant grammatical errors, and the control over tense and agreement is consistent throughout the entire piece.

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