Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-06

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 6.0)

Dear Ronak,

Hope you are doing great. I am writing this letter to give you some exciting news: I am coming to New York for my business trip with my CEO, and I am staying for a week in a hotel. Furthermore, I wanted to know what kind of places I can visit, as it will be my first time and I have no idea. I need a list of a bunch of places where I can go and sightsee.

Moreover, I have heard many things from you that the food is very delicious and that the Statue of Liberty is a famous place in New York.

Apart from this, I am inviting you to visit some places with me where we can spend some quality time and create memories from childhood.

I would really appreciate it if you could join my team during my visit.

Thank you,

S

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points: the purpose of the trip, a request for sightseeing recommendations, and an invitation to meet. However, the response is slightly under the 150-word minimum, which impacts the overall task completion. While the ideas are relevant, they are somewhat underdeveloped. For instance, the invitation to 'join my team' is slightly confusing in the context of a personal visit, and the explanation of the trip purpose is quite brief. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your ideas with more detail and ensure the word count requirement is met to avoid a penalty.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of your ideas. You use some cohesive devices like 'Furthermore', 'Moreover', and 'Apart from this' to link your sentences. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel a bit forced. The referencing is generally clear, but the connection between the business trip and the invitation to 'join my team' could be smoother. Improving the variety of your linking words and ensuring they are used naturally will help you achieve a higher score in this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your message clearly. You use some appropriate phrases like 'quality time' and 'create memories'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on basic vocabulary such as 'bunch of places' and 'many things'. To improve, try to incorporate more precise and sophisticated collocations. For example, instead of 'bunch of places', you could use 'a variety of tourist attractions'. The tone is generally appropriate for a letter to a friend, though it could be more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most of your sentences are clear and easy to understand, and your grammar is generally accurate. There are no major errors that impede communication. However, to move into the higher bands, you should aim for a greater variety of complex grammatical structures, such as conditional sentences or relative clauses, and ensure they are used with more precision. Your punctuation is generally correct, but ensure that your sentence variety is balanced to show greater control over your writing.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.