Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-11-01

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 6.0)

Dear Sam,

I am planning to visit your city in the coming weeks for a business trip. Since we are friends, I would greatly appreciate any tips, recommendations, or even suggestions, as I am eager to have a memorable experience in your lovely city.

Can you suggest a few places that I shouldn't miss? Are there any spots for sightseeing? Also, are there any activities that I should try? Please do share with me any interesting activities that I shouldn't miss

Also, will you have some spare time to join me for dinner? It would be a fantastic opportunity to catch up after all this time.

Kind regards,

Okba Benabes

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You cover the main purpose of the letter: you explain that you are visiting for a business trip, ask for sightseeing and activity recommendations, and invite Sam to dinner. The friendly tone is appropriate, and “catch up after all this time” gives the invitation a personal reason. However, the requests remain broad, and the purpose of the trip is only briefly stated; adding a detail about the business visit and asking about particular interests or practical arrangements would develop the content. The response also does not meet the required minimum of 150 words, so the letter is notably short and the task is only partially developed. Expand each bullet with relevant details while keeping the informal tone consistent with writing to a friend.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter follows a sensible order: you introduce the visit, ask about things to see and do, then invite Sam to dinner. This makes the purpose easy to follow, and the paragraph breaks help separate the main points. The questions also provide some variety in how you connect ideas. However, the sightseeing and activity requests are grouped together without much development, and the second “Also” creates a slightly mechanical transition. The sentence ending “Please do share with me any interesting activities that I shouldn't miss” has no final punctuation, which interrupts the flow. Use clearer paragraphing for each bullet and add a brief transition or explanation to make the progression feel more natural.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a friendly letter, including “recommendations,” “memorable experience,” “sightseeing,” and “catch up.” These choices communicate your meaning clearly and suit the context. There is some repetition, particularly “shouldn't miss,” which appears in both the request for places and the request for activities. “Lovely city” and “fantastic opportunity” are positive but fairly general, so more specific wording could make the letter more vivid and precise. The phrase “tips, recommendations, or even suggestions” also repeats similar meanings. Aim to vary these expressions and choose vocabulary that reflects the kind of places or activities you hope to experience.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

Your sentences are generally clear and accurate, and you show a mix of structures, including the conditional question “Can you suggest a few places that I shouldn't miss?” and the invitation “will you have some spare time to join me for dinner?” The use of “Since” to introduce a reason is also effective. Most grammatical choices allow the reader to understand the message without difficulty. However, the range is somewhat limited, with several short questions following a similar pattern. The final request sentence lacks a full stop, and the letter would benefit from more varied sentence structures, such as combining a question with a reason or adding a relative clause. Check punctuation carefully when proofreading.

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