Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-08-08
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 Kelly,
I hope you're excited to meet me. Take all the necessary items for travel, and please don't mind, as I will be away in the morning. I make sure to do arrangements for you to have a pleasant welcome at my house. I will meet you in the evening for sure.
I have to attend my office, as tomorrow will be my working day, but my aunt will be there to pick you up from the station around 7 am at gate number 2. She has my house key.
In addition, my aunt has a day off tomorrow, so she will be your tourist guide for a day. You will see a very famous art galley in our town with her. Don't miss out on having lunch by the bay. That restaurant has an authentic Indian menu.
I will be at home by 6 pm. Afterwards, we could go to town hall for shopping, and I got tickets for musical nights of opera.
I hope you don't mind, as I will meet you in the evening. See you soon.
Best wishes,
Linda
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
You have addressed all three bullet points in the prompt effectively. You clearly explained the key arrangements involving your aunt, provided specific instructions for the train station, and outlined your evening plans. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a family member. However, the opening and closing sentences are slightly repetitive and confusing; for example, 'I hope you're excited to meet me' is an unusual way to greet a relative, and the final sentence repeats the point about meeting in the evening. Despite these minor stylistic issues, the task requirements are fully met with sufficient detail.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0
The letter follows a logical progression, moving from the arrival arrangements to the daytime activities and finally the evening plans. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate these distinct topics. You use some cohesive devices such as 'In addition' and 'Afterwards' to link ideas. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally slightly mechanical. The referencing is generally clear, though the transition between the first and second paragraphs could be smoother. Overall, the message is easy to follow, and the structure supports the reader's understanding of the logistics involved.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task. Phrases like 'tourist guide', 'authentic Indian menu', and 'musical nights of opera' are well-chosen and relevant. There are some minor awkward collocations, such as 'I make sure to do arrangements' (should be 'I have made arrangements') and 'art galley' (likely a typo for 'gallery'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the variety and precision required for a higher band score. Expanding your use of more sophisticated descriptive language would improve your score in this area.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'I have to attend my office, as tomorrow will be my working day' (slightly unnatural phrasing) and 'I got tickets' (informal, should be 'I have bought' or 'I have secured'). Additionally, 'I hope you don't mind, as I will meet you in the evening' is a bit repetitive. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on verb tense consistency and more natural phrasing would be beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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