Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Dear Sukh,

I hope your doing well.

I will in Surrey next Monday for business meeting . Because , my company is going to explains some new ideas . Which will have more advantages for our business. This will just 5 hour conversation after that I will free . They are giving me 2 days free hotel booking then i would like to explore metro city Vancouver .

I never been to downtown of Vancouver as well as never visit English beach , I listen a lot about both places . I have plan to go there and see whole area by walk . On beach I want to see sea ships .

I know you are off from your work every Monday and Tuesday . I would like to you company to visit Vancity . I will helpful for me because you know all the corn on this city.

See you next week .

Lots of love ,

Daman

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points: the purpose of the trip, a request for sightseeing recommendations, and an invitation to your friend. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the purpose of the trip is explained briefly, and the request for sightseeing could be more specific to engage the reader. While the task requirements are met, the content lacks the depth and natural flow expected at higher bands. To improve, try to expand on your ideas by providing more context or descriptive details about why you are interested in visiting specific locations.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your message. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite limited and sometimes mechanical. For example, the transition 'Because, my company...' is grammatically awkward and disrupts the flow. Additionally, the connection between sentences is often abrupt, making the text feel like a series of isolated statements rather than a cohesive letter. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently,' 'furthermore,' 'as a result') and ensure that your sentences are connected more smoothly to improve the overall progression of your ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your basic needs. However, there are several instances of incorrect word choice and collocation, such as 'I will helpful for me' instead of 'It would be helpful,' and 'corn on this city' instead of 'ins and outs' or 'corners of this city.' These errors occasionally hinder the clarity of your message. To reach a higher band, you should work on using more precise vocabulary and common English collocations. Expanding your range of descriptive adjectives and idiomatic expressions would also make your writing sound more natural and fluent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter, including issues with verb tenses ('I will in Surrey' instead of 'I will be in Surrey'), subject-verb agreement, and sentence structure. Many sentences are fragmented or contain basic errors that require the reader to re-read to understand the intended meaning. For example, 'I hope your doing well' should be 'I hope you are doing well.' While you attempt some complex ideas, the lack of control over basic grammar significantly impacts the quality of the writing. Focusing on sentence construction and proofreading for basic errors like missing verbs or incorrect pronouns will help improve your score.

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

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