Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-11
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 Ali,
I hope you are doing well. I am very happy from hearing you that you're making plan of going on camping holiday this summer.
Firstly, I know you would definitely enjoy a camping holiday and this will also help you to refresh your mind. Moreover, you will also feel happy to do some outdoor activities like hiking and swimming.
Additionally, I also want to inform you about some disadvantages after going there. The first and foremost disadvantage is that sometimes due to heavily raining and thunderstorm camping is difficult to manage. There are chances that tent can be broken or unable to cook food.
Last but not the least, I would definitely prefer you to go for camping with your friend this summer because according to the forecast weather would be good this summer and low chance of any thunderstorm. You would enjoy this trip of camping.
I am waiting for your decision and I believe that you would enjoy after going on camping holiday.
Kind Regards,
Nosheen
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You address all three points: you explain that camping could refresh your friend and offer activities such as hiking and swimming, mention weather-related difficulties, and give a positive response about going together. However, the advice is not fully clear: “I would definitely prefer you to go for camping with your friend” does not clearly say whether you yourself will join Ali. The disadvantages are also quite narrowly developed, focusing mainly on rain and its effects on the tent and cooking. Make your own decision explicit and add a practical detail or another drawback, such as insects or limited facilities, to make the advice more complete and specific.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The letter has a clear overall arrangement: an opening, a paragraph about benefits, one about disadvantages, and a closing paragraph with your recommendation. Linking expressions such as “Firstly,” “Moreover,” and “Additionally” help readers follow the points. At times, however, the links feel mechanical or do not express the relationship precisely. “Last but not the least” introduces your decision, while the following sentence shifts to a weather forecast without clearly connecting that information to whether you will go. The final two sentences also repeat the idea that Ali will enjoy the trip. Use more natural transitions and make the progression from advice to your own plans clearer.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main ideas, and relevant terms such as “outdoor activities,” “hiking,” “thunderstorm,” and “forecast” suit the topic. You also attempt more specific expressions, but several combinations are unnatural or imprecise, including “making plan of going on camping holiday,” “heavily raining,” and “trip of camping.” These choices make parts of the letter less fluent, even though the intended meaning is generally understandable. Build accuracy by learning common word partnerships: for example, say “planning a camping holiday,” “heavy rain,” and “camping trip.” Vary repeated words such as “enjoy” and “camping” where possible, while keeping the friendly tone appropriate for a letter to a friend.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple sentences and longer structures, including “I know you would definitely enjoy a camping holiday and this will also help you to refresh your mind.” The main message remains understandable, but there are several errors in sentence construction and grammatical forms. For example, “I am very happy from hearing you” needs a different preposition and structure, and “sometimes due to heavily raining and thunderstorm camping is difficult to manage” is not formed clearly. Articles and number also need attention in “tent can be broken.” Practise building accurate clauses around cause and effect, and check articles, verb forms, and punctuation. More reliable control of these patterns would make your advice easier to read.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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