Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-31

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 sarah,

Hope you are doing good, what an amazing idea comping holiday!

i think we will have fun doing it together for this holiday we can have fresh air , quiet inveronment and see beautiful landscapes maybe also if we found goups there we will have sone activities together.

note that maybe we will face some difficults , such as the transportation sone mountains are difficult to reach , also we have to check the weather the day before if suddently becomes cold and rainy that is will be a problem , you have all equipement needed because hiking could be dangerous without proper equipment .

my opinion is we have to check all wht i mentioned if good for you we can go.

best regards.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address the main points by giving reasons camping could be enjoyable, mentioning drawbacks, and indicating that you might go together. Fresh air, quiet surroundings and beautiful landscapes are relevant benefits, while difficult transport, bad weather and the need for equipment are useful disadvantages. However, the invitation is not fully clear: “if good for you we can go” makes your willingness conditional rather than directly answering whether you would like to join. The ideas are also brief, with little explanation or personal detail, and the response is below the required 150 words. Develop each point with an example and clearly say, for instance, that you would be happy to go with Sarah this summer.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The ideas follow a generally sensible order: you begin with enthusiasm, move to possible benefits, then discuss difficulties and finish with a decision. This gives the letter an overall coherent arrangement. Some connections, however, are crowded into long sentences, particularly the list of benefits and the sentence about transport, weather and equipment. The transition “note that” is abrupt, and the final sentence does not clearly connect the checks to your decision. Use separate paragraphs for enjoyment, disadvantages and your answer about joining, and add straightforward links such as “However” and “As for going together.” This would make the progression easier to follow and reduce the impression of ideas being listed.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “fresh air,” “beautiful landscapes,” “transportation,” “weather” and “equipment.” These choices make the general meaning understandable. However, the range is limited and several spelling or word-choice errors make the letter less clear, such as “comping,” “inveronment,” “difficults,” “suddently” and “equipement.” Some phrases are also unnatural, including “quiet environment” in this context and “found groups there.” Aim to learn accurate topic vocabulary and common collocations, such as “peaceful surroundings,” “reach the campsite” and “join group activities.” Proofreading for spelling and choosing more natural phrases would improve clarity and control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to combine ideas using clauses and conditional language, for example, “if we found groups there” and “if good for you we can go.” However, the response relies mainly on simple structures, and errors in sentence formation and punctuation are frequent enough to make some parts difficult to read. In “Hope you are doing good, what an amazing idea,” two sentences are joined with a comma; “that is will be a problem” has an incorrect verb construction; and “we have to check all what I mentioned” is not formed accurately. Practise complete sentences, correct conditional patterns and verb forms. For example: “If the weather turns cold and rainy, it could be a problem.”

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

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