Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-17
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 Dev,
I hope you are doing great. I just came to know that you going to Manali this summer for your first camping trip. I am sure, it will be one of the best trip of your life, as you like hiking, bonfire, dance party, etc.
I recently went for the same trour last winter, there are many places to visit near like Hidamba temple, Wolk point, old caves and the best place that you should not miss is Mall road. Apart from that, you can do many adventurous activities like river rafting, paragliding and bungee jumping. As you like this activities, you will enjoy a lot over there.
Just be careful, there are many wild animals near your stay, don't go alone anywhere and follow the guidlines properly. One last think, don't carry much cash with you, there are ATM installed after every 5 miles in most of the areas.
As I had visited Manali last winner, am not going to go for camping this summer.
Your sincerely,
XYZ
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
You address the main points by explaining why Manali may appeal to Dev, mentioning possible dangers, and stating that you will not join him. The references to hiking, bonfires and adventure activities give relevant reasons he might enjoy the trip. However, the disadvantages are only briefly covered: wild animals and cash are mentioned, but the advice about ATMs does not clearly explain a disadvantage of camping. Your final decision is clear, though it would be more helpful to say whether you would like to go with him and why. The response also shifts from camping to sightseeing and activities in Manali, so the advice about the camping experience itself remains limited. Develop each required point more directly and support it with specific advice or explanation.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The letter has a recognisable structure, with an opening, paragraphs about attractions and precautions, and a closing. Ideas are generally grouped by topic, and linking phrases such as “Apart from that” and “Just be careful” help the reader follow the advice. However, the progression is not always clear: the second paragraph moves from your past trip to sightseeing and then to activities, while the paragraph about precautions combines wildlife and cash without explaining their relationship to camping. The final statement about not going is abrupt and does not connect to the earlier advice. Use clearer transitions between the camping benefits, drawbacks and your decision, and make each paragraph focus on one part of the task.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use a range of relevant words and phrases, including “river rafting,” “paragliding,” “wild animals” and “ATM,” which make the advice understandable and specific. There are also attempts at informal letter language, such as “I hope you are doing great.” However, several spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable, including “trour,” “Wolk point,” “guidlines” and “one last think.” Some expressions are imprecise or unnatural, such as “the same trip” and “ATM installed after every 5 miles.” These do not prevent the reader from understanding the main message, but they reduce precision and fluency. Check spelling carefully and choose more natural collocations when describing travel experiences and practical advice.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You use both simple sentences and some longer structures, for example, “I am sure, it will be one of the best trip of your life, as you like hiking…” This shows an attempt to connect ideas, and the overall meaning is usually clear. However, errors occur in basic sentence patterns and verb forms: “you going to Manali” needs an auxiliary, “I recently went …, there are” joins two clauses incorrectly, and “As I had visited …, am not going” has an incomplete subject and an awkward tense relationship. There are also agreement and article errors in “one of the best trip” and “you like this activities.” Aim for more consistently accurate sentence construction, checking subjects, verb forms, articles and plurals before adding longer clauses.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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