Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-22

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 Anna,

I hope this message finds you well. I am writing this letter to inform you that I am planning a business trip to Mumbai next week. During my visit, I will have some extra time and I am thinking to meet you.

The purpose of my visit for attending some projects as you already know that I am working In a software company. Therefore I will stay here for almost one week, and I have already booked a Taj hotel near to the airport.

After finishing my work, I am planning to explore your city and I know you have been living here for many years now so you know better about the city.

Would you be free on next weekend

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: the purpose of the trip, a request for sightseeing advice, and an invitation to meet. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum, which limits the development of ideas. The final sentence is incomplete, and the letter lacks a proper closing, which negatively impacts the task completion. To improve, you should expand on the purpose of your trip and provide more specific details about your interests to help your friend give better recommendations. Ensure you complete all sentences and include a standard closing, such as 'Best regards' or 'See you soon'.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into short paragraphs, which is appropriate for this task type. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat abrupt, and the lack of a conclusion or a proper sign-off makes the letter feel unfinished. Cohesive devices are used sparingly; for example, the transition 'Therefore' is used, but the connection between sentences could be smoother. To improve, ensure that each paragraph flows logically into the next and use a wider variety of linking words to connect your ideas more effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is somewhat repetitive and basic. Phrases like 'I am writing this letter to inform you' are standard, but the overall range is limited. There are minor errors in word choice, such as 'purpose of my visit for attending' (should be 'is to attend') and 'know better about the city' (should be 'know the city well'). To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more descriptive language and idiomatic expressions suitable for a friendly letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are several grammatical errors. For instance, 'I am thinking to meet you' should be 'I am thinking of meeting you', and 'working In a software company' has an unnecessary capital letter. Additionally, the final sentence is a sentence fragment. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to affect the overall flow. Focus on subject-verb agreement and preposition usage to improve your accuracy.

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

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