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Writing General Training Task 1 Band 9.0 Example

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241 words General TrainingTask 1Letter

Task 1 Letter

Illustrative target band for this original model answer.

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Ideas to explore

Explain why the festival matters: describe its importance as both a celebration and a cultural tradition.
Show how people celebrate through concrete customs, such as preparing traditional food, sharing it with family and visiting relatives.
Add a personal detail about what you enjoy most, such as the atmosphere, time with family or a particular traditional dish.

Suggested structure

Greet your friend and respond to their request.
Introduce the country and state the importance of the festival.
Describe preparations and key celebration customs in a logical order.
Explain what you personally like and why.
Close by offering further help with the project.

Useful vocabulary & examples

auspicious time: A time regarded as especially favourable for an event or action.
At an auspicious time, families light the hearth and prepare kiribath.
traditional dish: A food associated with the customs and culture of a place or community.
Kiribath is a traditional dish that many families prepare for New Year.
festive atmosphere: A cheerful mood associated with a celebration.
I enjoy the festive atmosphere when relatives and neighbours celebrate together.
bring people together: To encourage people to meet, share time or feel connected.
Traditional games bring people together during the New Year celebrations.

Task Prompt

your English-speaking friend has asked for your help with a college project he or she is doing about celebrating Nes Year in different countries. write a letter to your friend. in your letter write a letter to your friend.in your letter : 1 say how important new year is to people in your country . 2describe now new year is celebrated in your country . 3 explain what you like about New Year celebrations in your country.

User Essay Analysis

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Band 9.0

Dear Anna, How are you doing? I received your email asking for assistance with your project, so I’d like to explain how the New Year is celebrated in Iran. As you may know, the New Year holds significant importance in every country, and Iran is no exception. People start feeling the festive spirit about a few weeks before Nowruz, which marks the beginning of the Persian calendar and usually falls on 20 or 21 March. For many Iranians, it is the most important holiday of the year: families see it as a time to welcome renewal, reconnect and wish one another good fortune.

In the days before the celebration, people clean their homes and prepare a Haft-Seen table with seven symbolic items beginning with the Persian letter “sin”. On New Year’s Eve, relatives gather, and at the exact moment the year changes, they exchange greetings and embrace. During the following two weeks, families visit older relatives and friends, share meals and give children small gifts or money. Many people also spend the thirteenth day outdoors, traditionally to welcome spring. This day, known as Sizdah Bedar, is often a chance to enjoy a picnic together.

What I enjoy most is the warm feeling of being together. Even busy relatives make time to visit, and the streets and homes feel full of hope. I hope these details are useful for your project. Let me know if you’d like any more information.

Best wishes,

Targeted Improvement Tips

Replace the universal claim in the opening with a focused statement about the importance of Nowruz to people in Iran.

Keep the letter’s friendly tone consistent by choosing conversational alternatives to formal phrases such as “holds significant importance.”

Check for doubled approximations such as “about a few,” then read the letter once to confirm the sequence of customs is easy to follow.

AI Feedback

Overall Band

9.0

Excellent

Words

241

Type

Letter

Criteria Breakdown

Task Achievement

8.5 Band

The letter addresses all three requests: it explains the holiday’s importance (“the most important holiday of the year”), describes customs such as the Haft-Seen table and family visits, and gives your personal preference (“What I enjoy most is the warm feeling of being together”). The main refinement is to make the broad opening claim “in every country” more specifically relevant to Iran. A brief personal example could also make your preference more vivid.

Coherence & Cohesion

8.5 Band

The information follows a clear path from the holiday’s significance to preparations, celebrations and your personal response. The time markers “In the days before” and “During the following two weeks” help the reader follow the sequence, while the paragraph break before your preference separates the ideas effectively. To refine the flow further, make the opening transition from the general claim to Nowruz in Iran more direct.

Lexical Resource

8.0 Band

The answer uses topic-specific vocabulary effectively, including “festive spirit,” “symbolic items,” “renewal” and “Sizdah Bedar.” These choices make the customs understandable without overloading the letter with unfamiliar terms. “Holds significant importance” is understandable but sounds somewhat formal and less natural in friendly correspondence. Consider using “is very important” or “is a major celebration” and keep the surrounding tone conversational.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

8.5 Band

There is good control of sentence structures, including the relative clause “which marks the beginning of the Persian calendar” and the colon introducing an explanation of why the holiday matters. Verb forms and punctuation are generally clear. One small phrasing refinement is “about a few weeks,” where “about” and “a few” both signal approximation; use “a few weeks before” for a cleaner expression. Continue checking concise phrasing during editing.

Topic Band Distribution

Band 9.03 examples

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Band 5.03 examples

Band 4.03 examples

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Writing General Training Task 1 Band 9.0 Example

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