Letter thanking a friend for their help
This is a model answer written to show what a Band 7 response looks like against the marking criteria. It is a worked example, not a graded submission. To see your own band, paste your writing into the free checker.
The prompt
A friend recently helped you during a difficult time. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter:
- thank your friend for what they did
- explain what their help meant to you
- invite them to do something with you soon
Band 7 model answer (152 words)
Dear Hana,
I have been meaning to write ever since the move, because I never properly thanked you for everything you did that weekend.
Honestly, I do not know how I would have managed without you. You gave up two whole days to pack boxes, drove the van across town twice, and even built the wardrobe while I was still hunting for the kettle. When the agent delayed the keys, you kept me calm and fed me sandwiches instead of letting me panic.
It meant more than you probably realise. Moving on my own felt overwhelming, and having you there turned the worst weekend of the year into something we actually laughed through.
Let me repay you a little. Come over for dinner next Saturday and see the finished flat at last, boxes gone and pictures finally up. I will cook your favourite curry and open something nice.
Lots of love,
Marcus
Why this reaches Band 7
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Task Achievement
The thanks are tied to specific actions (the van, the wardrobe, the sandwiches), the second bullet explains the emotional weight ("turned the worst weekend of the year into something we actually laughed through"), and the invitation is concrete: dinner, next Saturday.
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Coherence and Cohesion
Each paragraph answers one bullet in order, and openers like "Honestly" and "Let me repay you a little" carry the flow without a single formal linker.
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Lexical Resource
Warm, natural phrasing such as "hunting for the kettle", "kept me calm" and "meant more than you probably realise", exactly the register a close friend expects.
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Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Varied structures handled comfortably, including the time clause "while I was still hunting for the kettle", with errors rare enough not to be noticed.
The one fix to reach Band 7
A Band 6 thank-you letter says "thank you so much for your help" three different ways. The change that lifts it to Band 7 is replacing repeated gratitude with remembered detail: name the exact things the friend did and what each one saved you from.
Now check your own answer.
Paste your own attempt at this prompt and Examinerly names the single criterion keeping you below your target band, and shows the sentence-level fix. We never inflate your band.
Check your writing free