Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-25

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 5.5)

Dear Sara,

I am well and hope you are enjoying your life. It has been long when we met. I really miss our last visit in your city.

I have come to know, that you are planning about a camping trip in the coming summer. I would say, It is very good decision you have made to enjoy your holidays. It will provide you some relaxation from the daily hectic routine of life. I would like to tell you some suggestions about your preparation such as, make a listing of important items you must carry with you. Such as urgent medicines, appropriate clothes, some tin foods and dry fruits. Be careful, and check the weather forecast of those days,it will help you in your further packing.

I wish to accompany with you but i have a lot of work to do in the office.

With best wishes, hope you will enjoy a lot.

Yours sincerely,

Sobia.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points, but the development is quite limited. While you explain why camping is enjoyable (relaxation) and provide some advice, the second bullet point regarding 'disadvantages' is entirely missing from your response. You mention packing tips instead of discussing potential downsides like unpredictable weather, lack of facilities, or physical discomfort. To reach a higher band, you must ensure every instruction in the prompt is explicitly covered. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, but the lack of content regarding the disadvantages significantly impacts the task completion score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into short paragraphs, which helps readability. However, the flow between ideas is somewhat mechanical. You rely on simple transitions like 'Such as' and 'I would like to tell you'. The logical progression is interrupted by the lack of a dedicated section for the disadvantages requested in the prompt. Referencing is generally clear, but the overall structure feels a bit disjointed due to the brevity of the paragraphs and the abrupt transition between the advice and the closing statement. Using a wider variety of cohesive devices would improve the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is adequate for a basic letter but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You use common phrases like 'enjoying your life' and 'hectic routine'. There are some minor errors in word choice, such as 'make a listing' (should be 'make a list') and 'accompany with you' (should be 'accompany you'). The vocabulary is functional but repetitive, and there is little attempt to use less common or more idiomatic language that would make the letter sound more natural and engaging for a friend.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'It has been long when we met' (should be 'It has been a long time since we met') and 'I wish to accompany with you' (should be 'I would like to accompany you'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma placement and capitalization after periods. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to suggest a lack of control over more complex grammatical forms.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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