Band 9.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 9.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-02

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You are planning a business trip to another city. You will have some free time to do some sightseeing while you are there.
 

Write a letter to a friend who lives in the city you will visit. In your letter:
• explain the purpose of the trip.
• ask about things to do and see in the city.
• invite your friend to do something with you during your visit.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ____

Student answer (Band 9.0)

Dear Zalak,

I hope you are doing well and having great week.

I am writing to let you know that I will be visiting Chicago next month from 12th to the 16th. My company is sending me there to attend our annual technology conference and to meet with a few important clients.

Since the official meetings are only scheduled for the mornings, I will have plenty of free time in the afternoons and evenings. I really want to make the most of my visit, so I was wondering if you could recommend some interesting things to see and do around town. I know you love the city, so I would trust your recommendations over any travel guide.

It would be fantastic to catch up properly while I am in town. Are you free for dinner or a drink on Thursday evening? Let me know what works best for you, and we can finalize the details.

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Warmly,

Aesha

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 9.0

The response fully addresses all three bullet points of the task. You clearly explain the purpose of your trip (attending a technology conference and meeting clients), ask for recommendations regarding sightseeing, and extend a specific invitation for dinner or a drink. The tone is consistently appropriate for a letter to a friend, maintaining a friendly and informal register throughout. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the letter is clear from the outset. You have successfully met all the requirements of the prompt in a natural and engaging manner.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 9.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose, moving smoothly from the purpose of the trip to the request for advice and finally the invitation. You use cohesive devices effectively, such as 'Since the official meetings...', 'I really want to...', and 'It would be fantastic to...', which help connect your thoughts seamlessly. The paragraphing is appropriate for a personal letter, and the flow of information is natural and easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 8.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary that is well-suited to the context of a personal letter. Phrases like 'make the most of my visit', 'catch up properly', and 'finalize the details' are natural and accurate. While the vocabulary is not overly complex, it is precise and fits the informal tone perfectly. There are no spelling or word-choice errors. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate slightly more sophisticated descriptive language, but for this task, your lexical control is very effective and error-free.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 9.0

Your grammar is highly accurate, with a variety of sentence structures used correctly. You successfully employ complex sentences, such as 'I was wondering if you could recommend some interesting things to see and do around town' and 'Let me know what works best for you, and we can finalize the details.' Punctuation is used correctly throughout, and there are no grammatical slips. The control over verb tenses and sentence construction is excellent, making the text very easy to read and understand.

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