Band 9.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 9.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-03

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

During a recent plane journey, you sat next to a businessman who owns a chain of restaurants. You talked to him and he suggested that you should contact him about a possible job in one of his restaurants.

Write a letter to this businessman. In your letter

• remind him when and where you met
• tell him what kind of job you are interested in
• say why you think you would be suitable for the job

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

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

Student answer (Band 9.0)

Dear Mr. Jones,

I am writing to follow up on our conversation regarding potential job opportunities at your downtown New York store.

We recently shared a flight from Toronto to NYC last Saturday, during which I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about your inspiring business journey. I am incredibly grateful for your generous offer to consider me for a position within your retail network.

Based on my extensive hands-on experience, I believe the Assistant Store Manager role would be an ideal fit. In my previous management positions, I successfully gained the expertise required to manage inventory levels, monitor labor targets, and ensure that customer experience standards consistently align with corporate expectations.

From our discussion, I understand that your newly promoted General Manager will require robust operational support while adjusting to his new responsibilities. I am eager to step into this role, take on new challenges, and contribute to your company’s long-term growth.

I look forward to hearing from you. Please let me know if a member of your hiring team is available for an interview, as I would welcome the opportunity to demonstrate my practical skills.

Yours sincerely,

Jay Suthar

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 9.0

You have fully addressed all parts of the task. You clearly reminded the recipient of the meeting context (the flight from Toronto to NYC), identified the specific role you are interested in (Assistant Store Manager), and provided a strong justification for your suitability by highlighting your previous management experience and operational skills. The tone is consistently professional and appropriate for a formal business letter. The ideas are well-developed and directly relevant to the prompt, demonstrating a clear understanding of the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 9.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose, moving smoothly from the introduction and context to the specific job request and closing. You have used cohesive devices effectively, such as 'Based on my extensive hands-on experience' and 'From our discussion', which help to link your ideas naturally. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure is coherent, making the letter very easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 9.0

You demonstrate a wide and sophisticated range of vocabulary that is well-suited to a professional context. Phrases such as 'inspiring business journey', 'retail network', 'robust operational support', and 'corporate expectations' are used accurately and naturally. There are no errors in word choice or collocation, and the vocabulary is varied enough to convey your professional background and enthusiasm effectively. The language is precise and contributes significantly to the formal tone of the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 9.0

Your writing displays a high level of grammatical control. You use a variety of complex sentence structures, such as the participial phrase 'during which I thoroughly enjoyed...' and the conditional structure 'Please let me know if...'. The punctuation is accurate throughout, and the grammar is error-free. The majority of your sentences are complex and demonstrate a high degree of flexibility, which is consistent with the requirements for a top band score.

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