Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-30

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 7.5)

Dear Sir,

With due respect, I am writing this letter in order to request for the position a chef at one of your restaurants in Ontario.

At the outset, I recently travelled from New York to Toronto in Air Canada flight on 27th September. My seat number was AC32, and I was sitting in the business-class cabin. Since our seats were close, we had a conversation about our professions, and you provided me with the information of owing a chain of restaurants in Ontario, Canada.

Further, I would like to provide you with some details of my past work experience and my interests. Since I completed my bachelor's in hotel management, I served as a head chef at Tandoori Flames restaurant in Mississauga for two years. Apart from preparing Indian cuisine, I have an exquisite knowledge of cooking Chinese, Italian, Japanese and Thai food.

Lastly, I would like to explain the attributes that make me a suitable candidate for the position. Since I have enough experience of making a variety of dishes for a number of customers, I can handle multiple cuisines at a time, and I always ensure the best quality of food items. Not only do I have the knowledge of preparing traditional meals, but I also try to create unique and flavourful dishes on special occasions.

Thank you for your time and consideration. Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully, Date: 30-09-2026

David Smith

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.0

The response successfully covers all three bullet points required by the task instructions. You clearly remind the recipient of where and when you met, mentioning the specific flight from New York to Toronto on 27th September, seat number AC32, and the business-class cabin context. You also state the kind of job you are interested in by explicitly requesting the position of a chef at one of his restaurants in Ontario. Finally, you provide strong reasons why you would be suitable for the job, detailing your bachelor's degree in hotel management, your past experience as a head chef at Tandoori Flames, and your versatility across multiple cuisines. All ideas are well-developed and relevant, demonstrating a clear and professional tone appropriate for a formal business letter.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 8.0

The letter is logically organized into distinct paragraphs that correspond to the natural stages of a formal job application letter. Progression is clear throughout, moving smoothly from the opening statement of purpose to the contextual reminder, then to qualifications, and finally to your specific attributes. Cohesive devices such as 'At the outset', 'Further', and 'Lastly' are used effectively to guide the reader through your arguments. Paragraphing is handled well, with each main point receiving its own dedicated paragraph. Referencing is clear and unambiguous, ensuring seamless reading from start to finish.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

The letter demonstrates a sufficient and generally precise range of vocabulary suitable for a formal job application. You successfully use less common lexical items and collocations such as 'business-class cabin', 'hotel management', 'head chef', and 'Indian cuisine'. There are occasional minor awkward expressions, such as 'request for the position a chef' (missing 'of') and 'owing a chain of restaurants' (should be 'owning'), but these do not impede communication. Your ability to describe your culinary skills and professional background shows a flexible and appropriate command of vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.5

You demonstrate a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating subordinate clauses effectively (e.g., 'Since our seats were close, we had a conversation...'). The majority of sentences are grammatically accurate. There are only very minor slip-ups, such as the missing preposition in 'position a chef' and the slight spelling confusion between 'owing' and 'owning'. Punctuation is handled well, and verb tenses are used accurately to distinguish between past events (your journey and past employment) and current intentions (applying for the job). Control over grammar and punctuation is strong throughout.

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