Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-24

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 5.0)

Dear Rohan,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing the letter because i an going to plan a business trip to USA aand i thought it would be great i would like to visit your place as well.

Is there any best places to visit you can suggest me and so i can visit and enjoy my trip .

and if you are a free at that time you can join me so we will have more fun and we can just enoy each other company

Sincerely,

Urvi Patel

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address the three main purposes: you explain that you are planning a business trip, ask Rohan for sightseeing suggestions, and invite him to join you. However, the ideas are very brief and under-developed. The purpose is not fully clear in “going to plan a business trip to USA,” and your question does not specify what kinds of places or activities interest you. The invitation is also vague, with no proposed activity or timing. The response is 91 words, so it does not meet the 150-word minimum. Develop each bullet with relevant details—for example, the business reason and dates, the sights you enjoy, and a specific plan to do together.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter follows a basic order: greeting, explanation of the trip, request for recommendations, invitation, and sign-off. This gives the reader a simple overall structure. However, the ideas are not developed into clear paragraphs, and the transitions are weak. Beginning a new sentence with “and if” makes the invitation feel like an afterthought, while “and so” does not clearly connect the request to its purpose. The long spacing does not replace paragraphing. Separate the purpose, sightseeing question, and invitation into distinct paragraphs, and use clear links such as “While I’m there” or “If you’re free on Saturday” to show how the ideas relate.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use a small set of relevant words, including “business trip,” “visit,” “places,” and “enjoy,” so the basic message can be understood. However, the vocabulary is limited and some phrases are unnatural or imprecise, such as “visit your place,” “best places,” and “enjoy each other company.” Spelling errors such as “aand” and “enoy” also reduce accuracy. To improve, choose more specific language for sightseeing and social plans, and learn common collocations such as “places to visit,” “show me around,” and “spend time together.” This would make the letter sound more natural and give you a wider range of useful expressions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response mainly uses simple sentence patterns, with attempts to join ideas using “because,” “and,” and “so.” These attempts often produce faulty or unclear sentences. For example, “I am writing the letter because i an going to plan” has errors in the pronoun and verb form, while “Is there any best places to visit you can suggest me” has problems with question structure and agreement. “If you are a free” also uses an unnecessary article. Capitalise “I,” and practise forming direct questions and conditional invitations. For example: “Could you recommend some places to visit?” and “If you’re free, would you like to join me?”

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

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