Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-28

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 5.5)

HI, Aman

I hope you are doing well.

By this letter I would like to invite you to join me to explore the city because I am going to Canada for a business tour from next weekend.

Last year,I started my business about agriculture and with the blessing of god it is going one smoothly and now I am planning a business trip to Ontario where I will spread my business and try to build my new office there.The trip is around 5 days long.

Futhermore, during the trip we will get a chance to see the beautiful views overe there such as I came to know about the Niagara Falls and The Blue Mountains these places are the main attraction of Canada.We would spend a quality time and also enjoying cultural food there.

The most important thing the weather condition is competely different there so I advice you to bring some wram clothes and some medicines with you.

I am sure that we would definitely enjoy this trip and make the most beautiful memories overe there.

Yours lovingly

Abhi

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You explain that the trip is for expanding your agriculture business and establishing an office in Ontario, and you mention possible sightseeing such as Niagara Falls and the Blue Mountains. However, the task is only partly fulfilled: the request for your friend’s recommendations is not clearly made, and the invitation is vague. “I would like to invite you to join me to explore the city” does not suggest a specific activity or make clear when you hope to meet. Some details, such as advice about clothes and medicine, take space without developing the requested points. Ask directly what your friend recommends seeing, then propose a particular outing or meal together.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter has a recognisable sequence: you introduce the trip, explain its business purpose, mention sightseeing, and close with a positive comment. Basic linking expressions such as “Furthermore” and “also” help connect ideas. However, the progression is not always clear because the sightseeing, invitation, and travel advice are combined rather than organised around the task’s three points. The opening invitation appears before the trip details, while the request for advice is never clearly signposted. Use separate paragraphs for the business purpose, your questions about the city, and a specific invitation. This would make the message easier to follow and reduce the sense of loosely connected details.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some topic-relevant vocabulary, including “business trip,” “agriculture,” “attraction,” and “cultural food,” so the reader can understand the general subject. There are also attempts at more descriptive language, such as “beautiful views” and “quality time.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or spellings are inaccurate, including “business tour,” “spread my business,” “overe,” and “wram.” Some phrases sound unnatural, such as “with the blessing of god” and “make the most beautiful memories.” Choose more precise collocations and check spelling carefully; this will make the letter sound more natural and help express your plans clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and longer sentence forms, for example, “Last year, I started my business … and … now I am planning a business trip,” which shows an effort to connect related ideas. However, control is uneven, particularly in longer sentences. In “these places are the main attraction of Canada,” the clause is joined to the preceding sentence without suitable punctuation, and “we would spend a quality time and also enjoying” mixes verb forms. There are also errors in articles and sentence construction, as in “a business trip to Ontario where I will spread my business.” Use shorter, clearly punctuated sentences when needed, and check that verbs remain parallel and articles fit the noun.

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.