Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-07
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 Darshan,
I hope everything is going well for you and your family. I am incredibly excited to know that you are planning to go on camping holiday for the first time this summer. I can say that you would definetly love to be surrounding trees and nature there. I know how much you are into nature.
I would like to tell you a couple of things that you should carry with you because you will not be able to find any convenience store near camping site. You need to drive around 10KM from your location to get any food items so it's better to more food with you. Since you won't find any gas stations on the way to the campsite, bring a spare fuel container just in case.
I would really like to join you on this trip, but unfortunately I twisted my leg yesterday. I am sure you will have a great time there. Make sure you send me pictures.
Talk to you soon!
Best Regards,
Varshil
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
You explain why Darshan may enjoy being in nature and clearly say you would like to join but cannot because of your injured leg. However, the task is only partially addressed: the paragraph about food and fuel gives practical preparation advice rather than describing disadvantages of camping itself. You could mention discomfort, bad weather, insects, or limited facilities, and explain how these might affect a first-time camper. Your reason for enjoying the trip is also brief; develop it with a specific benefit, such as relaxing away from city noise or spending time outdoors. The friendly purpose and personal position are present, but the ideas need fuller development and closer coverage of every requested point.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The letter has a recognisable opening, body paragraphs, and a friendly closing, and the ideas within the practical-advice paragraph are related. However, the overall progression is not fully effective: the second paragraph shifts from explaining enjoyment to listing supplies, without addressing the requested disadvantages, so the reader is not guided through all parts of the task. The link between the camping site and the advice about distance and fuel could also be clearer. Use separate, purposeful paragraphs for enjoyment, disadvantages, and whether you can go, with simple transitions such as “One drawback is…” and “As for joining you…”. This would make the organisation more complete and cohesive.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use a suitable range of everyday language for a friendly letter, including “planning,” “camping site,” “spare fuel container,” and “twisted my leg.” These choices make the situation understandable, and the tone is generally appropriate. However, some wording is inaccurate or unnatural, such as “go on camping holiday,” “be surrounding trees,” and “better to more food with you”; these phrases make parts of the message less fluent. There is also a spelling error in “definetly.” Aim for more natural collocations and precise phrasing, for example “go on a camping holiday,” “be surrounded by trees,” and “take extra food with you.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including “I am sure you will have a great time there” and the sentence beginning “Since you won’t find any gas stations…”. The main message remains understandable, but errors occur in basic sentence patterns and articles. For example, “go on camping holiday” needs an article, “I can say that you would definitely love to be surrounding trees” has an incorrect construction, and “it’s better to more food with you” is missing a verb. The sentence about driving “10KM from your location” also needs clearer grammatical phrasing. Practise complete clause structures and check articles and verb forms before sending the letter.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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