Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-13

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 6.5)

Dear Kim,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to let you know that I am coming to your city for a business trip and I am thinking of doing some sightseeing during my free time with you.

Our ABC company wants to open another location in your city, they want me to visit and arrange a meeting with clients. Afterward, to ensure the demand for our business there, we will start the process officially.

I will have some time during this trip, as I will stay in your city for a while after the meeting. So that I can get a chance to know their thoughts on our business. I need your help to visit different places where I can meet new people and also explore new places in your city.

I would like to invite you to my apartment for a reunion. It's been a long time, we haven't spent time together since you came here for your job. This is the time to recall all the memories with some snacks and drinks.

I am so excited to see you soon. Thank you for being such a great friend.

Best friend,

Puneet Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The candidate has successfully addressed all three bullet points required in the task instructions. First, the purpose of the trip is clearly explained, noting that it is a business trip to arrange client meetings and explore opening a new company location. Second, the writer asks for help to explore the city and meet new people, which appropriately covers asking about things to do and see. Third, an invitation is extended to the friend for a reunion at the writer's apartment. The tone is appropriately friendly and informal for a letter. The ideas are adequately developed throughout the response, and all requirements of the prompt are fully covered. Therefore, this performance meets the criteria for Band 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter exhibits a clear overall logical organisation and progression. The response is divided into logical paragraphs, with an opening greeting, a statement of purpose, details about the business trip, an exploration request, an invitation, and a closing sign-off. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'Afterward', and 'So that' are used, although some transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive in structure. Referencing is generally clear, and paragraphing is managed appropriately to separate different topics, such as transitioning smoothly from the business explanation to the social invitation. This places the letter solidly within the Band 6.5 to 7.0 range, warranting a score of 7.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary suitable for a semi-formal or friendly letter. Phrases such as 'business trip', 'sightseeing', 'arrange a meeting', and 'reunion' are used accurately. However, there are some minor lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices, such as 'ensure the demand for our business there' and 'get a chance to know their thoughts', which sound slightly unnatural. Less common vocabulary items are attempted, but they lack the flexibility and precision seen at higher bands. Spelling and word choice errors do not impede communication. This reflects the characteristics of a Band 6.0 performance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including subordinate clauses like 'I am writing this letter to let you know that...' and '...as I will stay in your city for a while after the meeting.' There are some noticeable grammatical errors and punctuation issues, such as comma splices ('It's been a long time, we haven't spent time together...') and minor prepositions or article slips ('Our ABC company', 'in your city for a job'). Despite these errors, the meaning remains clear and they do not impede communication. The control over grammar represents a typical Band 6.0 level.

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

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