Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-23
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
A friend of yours is thinking of going on a camping holiday for the first time this summer. He/She has asked for your advice. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter
- explain why you think your friend would enjoy a camping holiday
- describe some possible disadvantages
- say whether you would like to go camping with your friend this summer
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear ................. ,
Student answer (Band 6.5)
Dear Sam,
Hope you are doing well. Yesterday, I saw you mother, and got to know that you're planning for a camping holiday this summer.
Firstly, I'm glad that you want to try something adventurous. Since camping will enable you to step out from a comfort zone, allowing you to explore various unfamiliar places, which will help to develop your recreational skills. Additionally, I believe you will love camping as you will experience various things, such as living in a tent, cooking without using appliances, and much more.
Despite these benefits, a few disadvantages are there like extreme heat and sudden changes in the weather . As far I know you cannot sleep without AC, but on hot summer days, you may encounter heat waves, especially at night. Also, the weather is unpredictable at camping locations. Sometimes, it can be a hot day, and suddenly it changes into thunderstorms and heavy rainfall.
I'm honestly so excited just thinking about your trip. I really wish if I could come along and enjoy everything with you. Unfortunately, I have a significant exam coming up, so I can't make it.
I'm waiting to hear about your experience once you'll come back from this trip.
Kind regards,
Pooja.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
The letter covers all three bullet points effectively. You clearly explain why your friend would enjoy camping, provide relevant disadvantages like heat and weather, and state your inability to join. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend. To reach a higher band, you could expand slightly more on the 'why'—for example, by mentioning the mental health benefits of being in nature or the specific joy of disconnecting from technology. Overall, the response is well-focused and meets all requirements of the prompt.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0
The letter is logically organized with clear paragraphing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific requirement of the task. You use cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Additionally', 'Despite these benefits', and 'Unfortunately' to guide the reader. The progression of ideas is smooth and easy to follow. To improve, ensure that referencing is always precise; for example, in the second paragraph, the phrase 'various things' is a bit vague. Overall, the structure is sound and the flow of information is natural.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary suitable for a semi-formal/informal letter. Phrases like 'step out from a comfort zone', 'recreational skills', and 'unpredictable' are used well. There are some minor collocation issues, such as 'I saw you mother' (should be 'your') and 'I'm waiting to hear about your experience' (more naturally 'I look forward to hearing about...'). While the vocabulary is sufficient for the task, incorporating more idiomatic expressions or varied adjectives would help elevate the score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the conditional 'if I could come along' and the relative clause 'which will help to develop'. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'got to know that you're planning for a camping holiday' (should be 'planning a camping holiday') and 'once you'll come back' (should be 'once you come back'). However, these errors do not impede communication. The punctuation is generally accurate, and the sentence variety is sufficient for this task.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.