Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-16

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 4.0)

Dear Max,

I hope you're well. I'm writing to tell you about my next week trip to Canada.

I'm travelling for my official training for five weeks in Brampton. The first week is the introductory week and after that I'd

I can't wait to see you again.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 2.5

The letter establishes a relevant purpose by saying you are travelling to Brampton for official training, and the friendly opening and closing suit the relationship. However, it addresses the task only minimally: the training is mentioned but not explained further, there is no question asking Max what to see or do, and no specific invitation is made. The unfinished phrase “after that I’d” also leaves an idea incomplete. The response is 47 words, so it does not meet the required minimum of 150 words; this leaves too little space to develop the three requested points. Add details about the trip, ask about particular attractions or activities, and invite Max to join you for a planned outing.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.5

The response has a recognisable letter structure, moving from a greeting to a brief explanation and then a friendly closing. The sequence is generally understandable, and “I’m writing to tell you” signals the purpose of the message. However, the progression is very limited because the sightseeing request and invitation are absent, and the sentence ending “after that I’d” interrupts the flow rather than completing an idea. The separate closing, “I can’t wait to see you again,” does not connect the unfinished information to a clear next point. To improve organisation, use short paragraphs for the trip purpose, questions about the city, and your invitation, with linking phrases that make the relationship between ideas clear.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the basic situation: “official training,” “introductory week,” and “sightseeing” relate to the trip, while “I can’t wait to see you again” conveys a friendly tone. The range is nevertheless narrow, largely because the letter is brief, and some phrasing is not natural or precise. “My next week trip” is an awkward expression for a trip planned for next week, and “official training” may not clearly convey the intended business purpose. There is no vocabulary for asking about attractions or proposing an activity. Use more precise travel and work expressions, such as “business trip,” “training programme,” “local attractions,” and “Would you be free to…?” to make the message clearer and more varied.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response shows control of several basic sentence patterns, including “I hope you’re well” and “I’m travelling for my official training for five weeks in Brampton.” The main grammatical weakness is the unfinished construction “after that I’d,” which has no complement and leaves the sentence incomplete. The phrase “my next week trip” also has an incorrect word order; write “my trip next week.” Most of the writing uses short, simple clauses, so there is little evidence of a wider range of sentence structures. Complete each sentence and practise combining ideas with clauses such as “Although I’ll be busy with training, I should have some free time at the weekend.” Careful proofreading would help ensure that every sentence is complete.

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

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