Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-14

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)

Hello Yestric,

How are you doing my darling friend? And how is your Roith your sister

? I hope she has recovered fully by now? I am writing this letter to inform you that I would like to utilize my leisure time to explore the landscape close you when I arrive for my business trip to view the nature's.

To begin with, the aim of my visit to Ghana is to participate in the training that will commence in the city of Accra for business owners. If you will recall the last time we saw that I told you I want to take my business to a greater level.

Moreover, I want you to tell what I would see and things to when I get to Ghana since you very conversant with the place.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses all three bullet points: the purpose of the trip, a request for sightseeing recommendations, and an invitation. However, the letter is incomplete as it fails to include the invitation to the friend, which is a key requirement of the task. Furthermore, the response is under the 150-word minimum, which significantly impacts the development of ideas. The content is somewhat repetitive and lacks the necessary depth to fully satisfy the task requirements. To improve, ensure all bullet points are covered in detail and meet the length requirement to allow for full idea development.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter uses basic paragraphing to separate ideas, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes mechanical, such as the repetitive use of 'To begin with' and 'Moreover'. The logical progression is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing, such as 'explore the landscape close you'. While the overall arrangement is coherent, the lack of sophisticated linking words and the brevity of the response prevent a higher score. Improving the flow between sentences using a wider variety of transition signals would enhance the coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision expected at higher bands. There are several instances of unnatural phrasing, such as 'view the nature's' and 'you very conversant with the place'. The word choices are often basic, and the student struggles with collocations. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on using more natural, idiomatic expressions and ensuring that words are used in their correct grammatical context. Expanding the range of vocabulary beyond simple, everyday words will also be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'the last time we saw that I told you' and 'tell what I would see and things to when I get to Ghana'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the placement of question marks and sentence fragments. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of errors in basic grammar and sentence construction limits the score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct sentence structure is essential for improvement.

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

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