Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-11-04

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 6.5)

Dear Sumay,

How's life treating you? Finally, you decided to go for camping, I am really glad to hear that as you will actually enjoy camping despite you hate hiking and living in wilderness. Camping is fun because you get to experience life outside our daily chaotic lives and get to spend some time surrounded by nature.

You need to prepare diligently for camping activity as it is not easy to stay 2 days in the forest, so please do not forget to take extra warm clothes in case it gets cold during night time. Additionally, always take some extra batteries as you never know when you need them. Moreover, carry a flashlight, medicine and extra food.

I was really excited to join you on this trip, however I am not able to come with you due to my recent knee surgery. This camping site is at higher altitude, hence we need to hike uphill and I cannot put too much pressure on my knees as it is still recovering.

I am eager to hear your camping stories once you are back.

Regards,

Najmin Manga.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three required points: you explain that camping offers a break from “daily chaotic lives” and time in nature, give practical concerns and preparation advice, and clearly say you cannot join because of your knee surgery. The reason for declining is specific and relevant. However, the disadvantages are not fully developed as disadvantages: the advice about warm clothes, batteries, a flashlight, medicine and food implies possible difficulties, but you do not clearly explain what could be unpleasant or challenging about camping. The opening also says your friend dislikes hiking and wilderness, but does not explain why they might still enjoy the experience. Develop these points more directly to make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall structure, moving from your reaction and reasons camping could be enjoyable, to practical advice, then your decision about joining and a closing. Paragraphing helps the reader follow these stages, and linking expressions such as “Additionally,” “Moreover,” and “however” make relationships between ideas clear. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent organisation and shows some flexibility in connecting points. To make the progression more consistently natural, avoid stacking several similar connectors in the advice paragraph; the list could be introduced with one transition and then presented more smoothly. The opening sentence also combines several ideas, so separating your reaction from the contrast about your friend’s preferences would improve the flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range for a friendly advice letter, including relevant expressions such as “surrounded by nature,” “extra warm clothes,” “higher altitude,” and “put too much pressure on my knees.” These communicate the topic and your circumstances clearly. There are also attempts at more specific vocabulary, though some choices are not fully natural: “go for camping” is better expressed as “go camping,” and “camping activity” sounds less idiomatic than “camping trip.” “Chaotic lives” is understandable but slightly awkward in this context. Aim for more precise, natural collocations and vary the repeated use of “extra.” These refinements would make the vocabulary more flexible and accurate without changing the friendly tone.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex forms, including the conditional phrase “in case it gets cold” and the explanation beginning “as it is still recovering.” Most sentences are easy to understand, and the reason you cannot join is expressed clearly. Some grammatical and punctuation errors remain. In “Finally, you decided to go for camping,” the tense and construction are awkward; “you’ve finally decided to go camping” would fit better. The opening sentence is also a run-on, with several ideas joined without adequate punctuation. In “during night time,” the article is missing; use “during the night.” Review sentence boundaries and article use while retaining the range of structures you already attempt.

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

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