Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-14

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 7.0)

Dear Josh,

I hope your trip to Toronto went well. I heard there was a snowstorm on the day of your arrival. I am writing this letter as I will be visiting New York for a client meeting in May. Although the exact dates of my trip are not confirmed but I am excited to spend a few days in the city.

As you have been living in the city of dreams for a few years now, I would love to learn about some popular places I can visit in my spare time. Last year you shared a picture from the top of the Empire State building and showed me how small the vehicles look from the observatory. I might visit there on the first day.

Furthermore, will you be available on a weekend to take a cruise to the Liberty Island? I have heard there are numerous activities one can do during summer, one of which is kayaking. Let me know if you could join, and I will book a kayak for beforehand.

Waiting on your response.

Your friend,

Mihir

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three requirements clearly: you explain that you are travelling for a client meeting, ask about places to visit, and invite Josh to join you for an activity. The reference to the Empire State Building and your question about a weekend cruise make the requests personal and relevant. You also give enough context for your friend to respond. To make the ideas more fully developed, clarify the proposed plan: for example, specify which weekend or ask whether Josh would prefer sightseeing or kayaking. The opening reference to Josh’s Toronto trip is friendly, though it is not directly connected to your visit; a smoother transition into the business-trip purpose would keep the focus tighter.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The message follows a sensible sequence, moving from a friendly opening to the reason for your visit, sightseeing questions, and an invitation. Paragraphing helps distinguish these functions, and links such as “Furthermore” make the progression easy to follow. The organisation is clear overall, but some connections feel slightly mechanical: “Furthermore” is more formal than the friendly tone of a letter to a friend, while “Waiting on your response” is abrupt as a closing transition. The reference to Toronto also briefly interrupts the focus on New York. Use more natural links and connect the opening directly to your plans, then finish with a warmer closing sentence.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

You use a good range of relevant vocabulary, including “client meeting,” “observatory,” “numerous activities,” and “kayaking.” These choices communicate the business and sightseeing context clearly, and the reference to the “city of dreams” adds a personal, informal touch. There are occasional awkward or imprecise collocations, however. “Book a kayak for beforehand” is not natural phrasing, and “take a cruise to the Liberty Island” would be more idiomatic as “take a cruise to Liberty Island.” “Popular places I can visit” is clear but general; a more precise phrase such as “sights or neighbourhoods worth exploring” would show greater flexibility. Overall, the vocabulary is varied enough to express the purpose and requests effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex structures, including the conditional question “will you be available on a weekend” and the relative clause “which is kayaking.” Most sentences are understandable, and punctuation generally supports the meaning. Some grammatical errors remain. In “Although the exact dates of my trip are not confirmed but I am excited,” do not use “although” and “but” together; write “Although the dates are not confirmed, I am excited…” The phrase “I will book a kayak for beforehand” also has an incorrect grammatical construction; use “I will book a kayak in advance.” Review sentence connectors and prepositional patterns to improve accuracy while retaining your varied sentence forms.

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

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