Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-15

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 7.5)

Dear James,

Hope you find this letter with radiant health and the best spirits of life. I am excited to inform you that I will be visiting Vancouver next month for my business project.

My partners have arranged a collaboration on the newly launched manufacturing product, where we will not only discuss promotions but also share our ideas to sell it at an international level.

It will be my first visit to the city, and I have a significant amount of free time after my meeting; therefore, I want to know what activities I can do and sites I can visit, especially close to downtown, as I do not have my personal vehicle with me.

I am coming on the weekend; if you are free from work, we can do shopping and water activities together, which would be a great opportunity for us to spend quality time and have some fun.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,

K

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points: the purpose of the trip is explained, you ask for recommendations, and you extend an invitation. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, maintaining a friendly and informal register throughout. The ideas are clearly presented and the purpose of the communication is immediately apparent. To reach a higher band, you could provide slightly more detail regarding the specific nature of the 'business project' or the types of 'water activities' you are interested in, which would further develop the response and show a greater ability to elaborate on ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter is well-organized with a logical progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific requirement of the task, which makes the letter easy to follow. You use cohesive devices such as 'therefore', 'not only... but also', and 'if you are free' effectively to link your thoughts. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal-informal letter structure. To improve, ensure that the transition between the business purpose and the request for sightseeing advice feels slightly more natural, perhaps by using a smoother linking phrase to connect your professional obligations to your leisure time.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary, such as 'collaboration', 'significant amount', and 'quality time'. The word choices are generally accurate and fit the context of a business-related social letter. There are no significant spelling errors. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more idiomatic expressions or less common collocations that sound more natural in a friendly letter, such as 'catch up' or 'show me around'. While your vocabulary is sufficient and precise, adding a few more sophisticated phrases would elevate the overall quality of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

Your grammar is generally strong, with a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. For example, the use of the conditional 'if you are free from work, we can...' is accurate and well-placed. There are very few grammatical errors, and the punctuation is handled correctly. One minor improvement would be to refine the opening sentence; 'Hope you find this letter with radiant health' is slightly unnatural. A more standard phrasing like 'I hope this letter finds you in good health' would be more idiomatic. Overall, your control over complex structures is consistent and effective.

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

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