Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-08-07

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

A family member is coming to stay with you. He/she will be arriving by train in the morning, but you won’t be home until the evening.

• explain arrangements you have made for them to have keys and get into the house

• tell your relative how to get from the train station to your house

• say when you will be home and suggest what you could do together that evening

Student answer (Band 6.5)

Dear Kiran,

I hope you're doing well. I'm writing to you to let you know that I'll be out of home till evening on a day when you are coming. Honestly, I am feeling down in the dumbs because I can't come to pick you up from train station that morning. I wish I would cancel the meeting but it is really crucial to attend. However, you don't need to worry as I have made a spare key and left it under the front door mat for you to unlock the front door and get into the house.

Also, once you reach station, please give me a call and I will book you a cab. They takes 5 mins to come, meanwhile I'll share 4 digit code which you have to confirm with them before sitting in a car.

Please don't feel awkward in my absence. I'll be with you around 5 pm and then we will watch movies and make pasta in dinner.

I can't wait to see you

Best wishes,

Raj

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task effectively. You clearly explained the key arrangement, provided instructions for the taxi, and proposed evening plans. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a family member, maintaining a friendly and informal register throughout. The ideas are well-developed and relevant to the prompt. To reach a higher band, ensure that all instructions are perfectly clear; for example, while the taxi instructions are helpful, the mention of a '4 digit code' is a bit vague, though it does not impede the overall communication of the message.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a specific requirement of the prompt. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Also', and 'meanwhile' to connect your ideas. The progression of information is clear, moving from the arrival logistics to the evening plans. To improve, you could use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that the transition between sentences is smoother. Currently, some sentences feel slightly disconnected, but the overall structure is easy to follow and appropriate for a personal letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. Phrases like 'feeling down in the dumps' (though you wrote 'dumbs') and 'crucial to attend' show an attempt to use idiomatic or more precise language. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'out of home' instead of 'out of the house' and 'make pasta in dinner' instead of 'for dinner'. These errors do not impede communication, but they do prevent the vocabulary from being considered highly precise or sophisticated.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'They takes 5 mins' (subject-verb agreement) and 'I'll be with you around 5 pm' (preposition usage). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and spelling slips, such as 'down in the dumbs' and 'from train station' (missing article). While these errors are noticeable, they do not cause difficulty for the reader. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the consistent use of articles before nouns.

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

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