Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-23

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 8.0)

Dear Sir,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing to thank you for our conversation during the flight from Toronto to Vancouver last week. We were seated next to each other, and we talked about your restaurant business. You kindly suggested that I contact you if I was interested in a job at one of your restaurants.

I am very interested in a position as a restaurant assistant or customer service staff member. I would be happy to work in either a full-time or part-time position, depending on your requirements.

I believe I would be suitable for this role because I have experience working in customer service and retail. I am comfortable communicating with customers, handling different responsibilities, working as part of a team, and maintaining a clean and organized workplace. I am also hardworking, reliable, and willing to learn new skills quickly.

I would be grateful if you could let me know whether there are any suitable positions available. I would be happy to provide my résumé or attend an interview at your convenience.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Dhruv

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly reminded the recipient of the meeting context (flight from Toronto to Vancouver), specified your interest in a restaurant assistant or customer service role, and provided relevant justifications for your suitability, such as your background in retail and your professional attributes. The tone is appropriate for a formal business letter, and the purpose is clear from the outset. The ideas are well-developed and directly relevant to the task instructions, ensuring the reader understands your intent immediately. No parts of the task were omitted, and the letter maintains a professional and polite tone throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose, moving from the introduction and reminder of the meeting to the specific request and finally the closing. Cohesive devices such as 'I am writing to', 'I believe', and 'I would be grateful' are used effectively to link sentences and paragraphs. The structure is coherent, and the paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter. The flow of information is smooth, and the relationship between the initial meeting and the current request is established naturally, making the text very easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message with precision. Phrases such as 'restaurant business', 'customer service staff member', and 'at your convenience' are used accurately and appropriately for the context. While the vocabulary is functional and clear, it is generally standard. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate more sophisticated collocations or nuanced professional terminology related to the hospitality industry. However, the current range is more than adequate for the task, and there are no errors in word choice or spelling that impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The writing displays a good command of grammatical structures. You use a mix of simple and complex sentences effectively, such as 'I would be grateful if you could let me know whether there are any suitable positions available.' Punctuation is accurate, and the sentence construction is consistently error-free. The use of modal verbs like 'would' and 'could' is appropriate for a formal request. The grammar is controlled and supports the clarity of your message throughout the letter. There are no significant errors, and the overall accuracy is high, reflecting a strong grasp of English syntax.

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