Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-08

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 David,

It's been ages since I've heard from you. I hope you and your family are doing well. You will be glad to know that I'm coming to your city next week. Originally I'm coming for a 10 day business trip with my colleagues but we have some free time that we can enjoy together. Would you mind taking me to the park that was opened recently? I have heard that there is a beautiful flower garden inside the park. Besides, I would love to stay at your home for a day and play some games while enjoying some quality time with uncle and aunt. Perhaps, it would be a good idea for you to take a day off and take me to the waterpark near your home, since we haven't been there for so long. Rest, we can decide when we meet.

I am already very excited to meet you.

See you soon!

Cathy

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The letter covers all three required points: you explain that the visit is a ten-day business trip with colleagues, ask about sightseeing by mentioning the new park and its flower garden, and invite David to spend time with you. The friendly tone and personal references to his family suit the audience. However, the sightseeing request is mostly framed as asking David to take you to particular places, rather than asking more broadly what there is to see or do. The invitation also offers several possibilities—staying at his home, playing games, and visiting the waterpark—without settling on a clear plan. Develop these points more fully by asking for recommendations and proposing one specific activity or time together.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The ideas follow a generally clear sequence: greeting and trip news, sightseeing and plans with David, then a warm closing. Linking expressions such as “Besides” and “Perhaps” help connect the suggestions, and the letter is easy to follow overall. Some connections are less natural or precise, however. “Originally I'm coming” does not clearly express the relationship between the business purpose and the free time, while “Rest, we can decide when we meet” is an unclear transition. The several plans are also grouped into one long paragraph, so the main request and invitation do not stand out. Use clearer transitions and separate the sightseeing question from the invitation to improve progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a friendly personal letter, including “business trip,” “sightseeing,” “flower garden,” and “quality time.” These choices communicate the situation and your enthusiasm clearly, and the tone is generally appropriate. There are also attempts at more expressive phrasing, such as “It's been ages” and “I am already very excited.” Some wording is imprecise or not quite natural in context: “Rest, we can decide” is unclear, and “take a day off” may not fit if David is not working that day. More precise collocations and a wider range of ways to ask for recommendations would make the language more flexible and natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The letter includes a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, and most of the meaning remains clear. For example, “Perhaps, it would be a good idea for you to take a day off … since we haven't been there for so long” combines a suggestion with a reason. Some grammatical choices need more control: “Originally I'm coming” is awkwardly formed for a planned future visit, and “a 10 day business trip” needs a hyphen in the compound modifier (“10-day”). The long sentence beginning “Besides” also joins several plans in a way that makes the structure harder to manage. Use clear future forms such as “I’m coming” or “I’ll be coming,” and divide complex plans into shorter, well-formed sentences.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.