Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-04

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 Emma,

I hope you’re doing well. I’m writing to let you know that I’ll be visiting Mumbai next month for a three-day business conference. My company is sending me to attend several meetings with our clients, and fortunately, I’ll have some free time after the conference each day.

Since you have lived in Mumbai for several years, I was wondering if you could recommend some interesting places for me to visit. I would particularly like to see some famous landmarks and experience the local culture. Could you also suggest any good restaurants or markets that are worth visiting? As I will only have limited free time, I’d really appreciate your advice on the best places to see.

It would be wonderful if we could spend some time together while I’m there. Would you be free to join me for dinner and perhaps take me to Marine Drive on Saturday evening? It would be great to catch up after such a long time.

Looking forward to seeing you.

Best wishes,

Gupreet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response fully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly explain the purpose of the trip (a business conference in Mumbai), ask for recommendations regarding sights and local culture, and extend a specific invitation to your friend for dinner and a visit to Marine Drive. The tone is consistently appropriate for a letter to a friend, maintaining a friendly and informal register throughout. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the letter is clear from the outset, meeting all requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, which helps the reader follow your train of thought easily. You use cohesive devices such as 'Since you have...', 'As I will...', and 'It would be wonderful if...' to link your sentences and ideas naturally. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the transition between the purpose of the trip, the request for advice, and the invitation is smooth and well-managed.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary that is well-suited to the context of a personal letter. Phrases like 'experience the local culture', 'worth visiting', and 'catch up after such a long time' are natural and accurate. While the vocabulary is functional and clear, it remains within the expected range for this type of task. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate slightly more sophisticated or idiomatic expressions, but the current usage is precise and error-free, effectively conveying your message without any ambiguity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

Your grammar is highly accurate, with a variety of sentence structures used throughout the letter. You successfully employ complex sentences, such as 'Since you have lived in Mumbai for several years, I was wondering if you could recommend some interesting places for me to visit.' There are no noticeable grammatical errors, and your control over punctuation and verb tenses is excellent. The writing is fluent and natural, showing a high level of grammatical competence that allows for clear and effective communication.

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

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