Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-07

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 5.0)

Dear yasi,

i hope you are doing well. i am writing to inform you about my visit in your city.

As you know about the meeting which is in your city and about a week i spend there. it is my wish to spend the rest days with you and explore the place where you live. I heard about so many things about the old museum and the arcatures and you know how i am interested all these things.

I want you to join me and tell the thing which i really dont know about this because i am new in your city, i send all my details and location where i live.

i am very happy if you visit my place and help me about the difficulties which i am faced, waiting for your reply.

your friend,

wahida

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: the purpose of the trip, a request for sightseeing recommendations, and an invitation to meet. However, the response is under the 150-word minimum, which negatively impacts the development of ideas. The explanation of the trip is vague, and the invitation is somewhat repetitive. To improve, you should expand on the specific nature of your business meeting and provide more descriptive details about the activities you wish to undertake with your friend. The tone is generally appropriate for a letter to a friend, but the lack of length prevents a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organised into short paragraphs, but the flow between ideas is somewhat disjointed. While you use basic cohesive devices like 'As you know' and 'I want you to', the progression of ideas feels a bit mechanical. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'tell the thing which i really dont know about this', where the antecedent is ambiguous. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus that transitions logically to the next.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. You rely on basic phrasing such as 'doing well', 'inform you', and 'very happy'. There are also some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'arcatures' (likely meaning architecture) and 'rest days'. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the basic message, but it lacks the range and precision required for a higher band. To improve, try to incorporate more descriptive adjectives and specific nouns related to travel and sightseeing, and ensure you use words in their correct context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with article usage ('in your city' vs 'to your city'), subject-verb agreement, and sentence structure. For example, 'the meeting which is in your city and about a week i spend there' is grammatically fragmented. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with several missing capital letters at the start of sentences. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic structures limits the score. Focus on mastering simple sentence construction and proofreading for basic punctuation and capitalization errors.

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

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