Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-13

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 Gautam,

I hope you and your family are well. A few days ago i got to know that you went Toronto for business trip. I am excited to know about that. Moreover, the actual purpose of writing this letter is to invite you for trip. Actually, I am planning a trip to Banff with friends so, i am inviting you to join us. The trip will begin on August 18, 2026 from my home.

We all are working since long time and also we didn't go in any trip since last 5 years. So, As a refreshment i want to go on a trip with you guys. We will do there many activities like river rafting, hiking, bungee jumping and many more. It will be like 4 days trip. and we will bring all stuffs for stay like tents, cooking instruments and some raw foods items.

I know it is very late that i am telling you about that. But, You know we all want some stress free days in our lives. So, It is going to be fun trip. Even, we will explore some new places there and relaxing out there.

I hope you understand will join us.

Thank You,

Kishan

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter addresses the main requirements of the task, such as explaining the purpose of the trip and inviting the friend. However, the response fails to address the specific instruction to 'ask about things to do and see in the city.' The content focuses entirely on the writer's own trip to Banff rather than seeking advice from the friend who lives in the destination city. While the tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, the omission of a key bullet point limits the score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate, such as the repetitive use of 'So' at the start of sentences. The transition between the initial confusion about the friend's location and the invitation to Banff is abrupt. Referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly in the opening where the writer mentions the friend's trip to Toronto before inviting them to Banff, which creates confusion regarding the destination.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the message to be understood. There are some instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'working since long time' and 'raw foods items.' The range of vocabulary is limited, relying on basic descriptors. While the student attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'river rafting' and 'bungee jumping,' the overall lexical control is basic, and there are noticeable errors in word choice that occasionally affect the natural flow of the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Common issues include incorrect verb tenses (e.g., 'you went Toronto' instead of 'you went to Toronto'), missing articles, and punctuation errors. The misuse of capital letters (e.g., 'i', 'So', 'But') is persistent. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to detract from the overall quality of the writing and indicate a lack of control over basic grammatical rules.

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

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